Ranchi, April 20: The Jharkhand High Court has taken a firm stance regarding the slow progress of the police investigation into the case of a girl who went missing in Gumla district in 2018. During a hearing on Monday, the court granted the state government a two-week deadline to show meaningful progress. If no substantial results are achieved within this timeframe, the case may be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad presided over the hearing, where Jharkhand’s Director General of Police (DGP) Tadasha Mishra appeared virtually to provide updates on the investigation. The court questioned the DGP on why, after more than seven years, there has been no trace of the missing girl and what direction the police investigation is taking.
The court also sought information from the Superintendent of Police in Gumla regarding the progress of the case. Based on the presented facts, the court expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of expected progress and directed the state government to submit a detailed and satisfactory response within two weeks.
Furthermore, the court clarified that if no concrete results emerge by the next hearing, it would consider transferring the investigation to the CBI. Notably, the mother of the missing girl has filed a habeas corpus petition in this matter.
In previous hearings, the High Court not only raised concerns about the investigation’s progress but also emphasized the need for effective use of technology in locating missing children and the establishment of clear standard operating procedures (SOPs) for utilizing data from Aadhaar. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed to investigate the case, which has conducted inquiries at various locations, but no solid leads have been found thus far.
The High Court has previously stressed the importance of taking such cases seriously and ensuring prompt action.
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