The CBI, which has informed the court of having an actionable clue in the Dhanbad judge murder case, is learned to have reached this conclusion following discrepancies in the statements of the accused.
Dhanbad district judge Uttam Anand was hit by an auto-rickshaw near Randhir Verma Chowk during his morning walk on July 28 around 5 am.
Before the CBI took-up investigation, Dhanbad police arrested Lakhan Verma and Rajan Verma for intentionally hitting the judge causing his death.
The CBI investigating all aspects has found discrepancies in their confessional statements which have led the agency to believe that there is a mastermind behind the murder of the judge.
In his statement, Lakhan Verma said that he and co-accused Rahul Verma ferry passengers on auto-rickshaws. They fought on some issues which they later resolved on the evening of July 27.
They hatched a plan to steal an auto rikshaw to sell it in Giridih to get some money. They stole an auto rikshaw and drove it till 2 am on July 28 and also picked some passengers.
According to the confession of Lakhan later on, Rahul slept at a night shelter while Lakhan went to his home.
They again met near a cinema hall in Dhanbad at 5 am. Lakhan said they were roaming in stolen auto-rickshaw looking for some passengers. Lakhan claimed that suddenly Rahul pulled his left hand due to which the auto hit a man running on the roadside.
Lakhan said that after he was arrested, he came to know that person who was hit in the morning was a judge.
Rahul in his confessional statement said the same thing. But his statement differed at one point. Rahul said that Lakhan suddenly ran the auto into the judge. Rahul said that he was scared when Lakhan told him (Rahul) that why he pulled his left hand. Rahul said that he got out of the auto after that.
Such discrepancies in the statements of the accused have put the CBI in doubt since the agency had conducted lie detector and brain mapping and several other tests upon both accused to clarify it. Besides, they were rigorously questioned also. Sources familiar with the investigation said that CBI took permission from the court to carry fresh tests upon the accused due to this reason.