Ranchi, Sep 2 (PTI) The High Court of Jharkhand on Thursday expressed dissatisfaction over the slow progress into the investigation by CBI in the Dhanbad judge death case. It also expressed unhappiness over the lack of appointments in the Forensic Sciences Laboratory (FSL) in the state capital. A division bench of Chief Justice Dr. Ravi Ranjan and Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad said it appeared that the driver of the heavy autorickshaw had intentionally hit the judge, and asked the central probe agency whether it had interrogated the bike rider who had looked at the judge and then left the incident spot. CCTV footage had shown that the additional district judge, Uttam Anand, was jogging on one side of a fairly wide road at Randhir Verma Chowk early on July 28 when a vehicle veered towards him, hit him from behind, and sped off. Some locals found him lying in a pool of blood and took him to a nearby hospital, where the doctors declared him dead on arrival. Expressing displeasure over the progress in the investigation, the bench ordered the CBI to furnish a status report of the investigation done so far in the case and said it will hear the matter again after a week. During the hearing, the bench said that report shows that the auto driver has deliberately hit the judge. This did not happen suddenly because of intoxication, the bench said. The court asked whether the CBI has questioned the bike rider who saw the judge at the time of the incident and left the spot. The investigating officer of the CBI said that they have interrogated and released the man who claimed he has high blood pressure and the sight of blood makes him nervous. To this, the court asked whether the CBI has examined the documents regarding the man’s medical history. The bench directed CBI to conduct a thorough investigation of the bike rider saying it is necessary as he works in a colliery. Both the Supreme Court and the High Court of Jharkhand had taken suo motu cognisance of the incident. The Central Bureau of Investigation took over the case on August 4. Five days after that, the apex court directed the central probe agency to file weekly reports to the High Court on the progress of the investigation. The bench also observed that the Jharkhand Public Services Commission ought to have taken steps to ensure appointments in the FSL. Lack of appointments in the FSL has rendered it non-functional, the bench said. The court said that posts have been created since 2011 but they are lying vacant for about a decade. The counsel for the JPSC informed the court that steps are being taken to make appointments in the FSL. PTI CORR NAM MM MM