Jharkhand High Court Demands Action in 2018 Missing Girl Case, Threatens CBI Investigation
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Ranchi, April 20 (NationPress) The Jharkhand High Court expressed serious concern on Monday regarding the sluggish investigation into the case of a girl who mysteriously disappeared from Gumla district in 2018.
The court has granted the state authorities a period of two weeks to demonstrate real advancements; otherwise, the case may be transferred to the CBI.
While presiding over the hearing, a division bench led by Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad voiced its disappointment over the lack of significant outcomes, despite more than seven years passing since the girl was last seen. The court cautioned that if no substantial results are presented within the specified timeframe, it would deliberate on transferring the investigation to the CBI.
Jharkhand's Director General of Police, Tadasha Mishra, appeared via video call to update the bench on the current status of the inquiry.
The court inquired about the reasons behind the inability to locate the girl after such an extended period and sought clarification on the investigation's trajectory.
Additionally, the court requested detailed information from the Gumla Superintendent of Police regarding the investigation. After reviewing the information presented, the bench remarked that the inquiry had not achieved the anticipated progress and instructed the state government to submit a comprehensive and satisfactory report within two weeks.
The court reiterated that if no significant progress is communicated by the next session, the case may be handed over to the CBI.
The mother of the missing girl had previously approached the High Court through a habeas corpus petition. In past hearings, the court has not only criticized the slow pace of the investigation but has also emphasized the importance of utilizing technology effectively to locate missing children.
It has highlighted the necessity for a clear standard operating procedure (SOP) for the application of Aadhaar-related data in such instances.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) was established to examine the case and conducted inquiries at multiple locations, yet the girl's location remains unknown.
Once again, the High Court has stressed the importance of treating cases involving missing children with the utmost seriousness and ensuring prompt action.