RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, Dec.4: Punching holes in the Jharkhand police investigation in a case involving radioactive substance, uranium, recovered from Bokaro, the Jharkhand High Court directed to implead NIA into the matter.
The order was given by the court of Justice Sanjay Prasad, hearing a bail application of one of the accused in the matter, Krishna Kant Rana.
The court, while directing to implead in the matter, said it will hear the prayer for bail after receipt of the test reports from the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai and Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu and Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology, Indore.
Superintendent of police of Bokaro Chandan Kumar Jha was present in the court when the order was passed punching holes in the police investigation. The court on November 26 had directed Jha to appear in person in the matter when it observed that the matter is not being properly investigated and the NIA has not been informed properly in the matter of national importance.
The highly radioactive substance was recovered on June 5 this year.
The court, directing to implead NIA in the case, observed that the state has not filed a counter-affidavit in a proper manner in the case.
“Although the State has furnished the copy of the proposed counter-affidavit, which has been filed in the dropbox of this Court, but it does disclose anywhere that as and when the Superintendent of Police, Bokaro had contacted the officials of NIA relating to the theft of Uranium/suspected Uranium and who was informed is also not clear. Even the Superintendent of Police, Bokaro has not filed the Test report of BARC submitted before the Superintendent of Police, Bokaro on 05.07.2021 as has been discussed in the previous order dated 26.11.2021 of this Court,” the court observed.
“It is not clear from the counter affidavit filed by the State that as to on which particular date/dates Superintendent of Police, Bokaro had contacted the officials of NIA, New Delhi and even the contact made by the Superintendent of Police, Bokaro is not incorporated by the investigating officer in the case diary. It is also not clear as to what steps have been taken to arrest the other two accused Mahabir Mahto @ Balram Mahato and Dinesh Mahato @ Dinesh Koiri as the case diary, which has been sent, shows investigation till 19.08.2021 and which is up to paragraph-150,” the court further observed.
The court observed that the police had not filed a chargesheet in a proper manner.
“It appears that the police has submitted the charge-sheet against the accused persons including this petitioner on 02.08.2021, but the investigation is still pending against other co-accused Dinesh Mahato @ Dinesh Koiri and Ishak Ansari @ Munna respectively,” the court in its order observed.
