By: Aparajita Patel
Last Thursday, the Jharkhand High Court slammed a concerned doctor and hospital administration for failing to properly handle the issue involving the death of Late Uttam Anand, District & Additional Sessions Judge, VIII (as it was then) and the delay in reporting the occurrence to the police authorities.
The Court was informed that Late Uttam Anand was transported to the hospital around 5.30 a.m., died around 9.00 a.m., and that information was submitted to the police at 11.45 a.m. As a result, the Court asked the State Counsel to tell the Court on the following date of what action had been taken against the erring officials for failing to report the incident to the police in a timely manner.
Other than that, when it was revealed to the Court that the urine and blood testing facilities were not present in the F.S.L., Ranchi, the bench of Chief Justice Ravi Ranjan and Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad considered it a significant issue.
The Court made this observation after reading the progress report in the case, which contained a statement by the investigating officer with regard to the Forensic Science Laboratory, Ranchi, stating that due to the non-availability of the urine and blood testing facility, the sample of urine and blood of the accused persons had been returned and thereafter it had been re-examined.
As a result, the Court determines that the Principal Secretary, Home, Prison & Disaster Management, Government of Jharkhand, and Director F.S.L. should be summoned on the next date of hearing, August 27. Finally, noting that a judicial official of the Judgeship at Dhanbad died in mysterious circumstances, the Court asked the responsible authority of the State of Jharkhand to provide suitable security arrangements for them in order to enhance the morale of the officers of the Judgeship at Dhanbad.
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