Jharkhand HC summons all Gumla SPs, IOs over girl missing since 2018
Synopsis
Seven years after a six-year-old girl vanished from Gumla, the Jharkhand High Court has lost patience — summoning every SP and investigating officer posted there since 2018 and warning of a CBI handover. With no clue found despite court scrutiny, the case has become a stark indictment of the state's missing-children investigation machinery.
Key Takeaways
The Jharkhand High Court summoned all Superintendents of Police and investigating officers posted in Gumla since 2018 in the case of a missing six-year-old girl.
The bench, led by Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad , warned of a CBI transfer if police continue to fail in tracing the child.
The girl has been missing for nearly seven years ; the case was filed as a habeas corpus petition by her mother, Chandramuni Urain .
A state-formed SIT has been conducting multi-state searches and sought Railways passenger data, but the court found these efforts inadequate.
All summoned officers must appear at the next hearing on 9 June .
The Jharkhand High Court on Tuesday took a strong view of the police investigation into the case of a six-year-old girl who went missing from Gumla district in 2018, summoning all Superintendents of Police and investigating officers posted in Gumla since that year to appear in person before the court. The case, now nearly seven years old, was heard on a habeas corpus petition filed by the child's mother, Chandramuni Urain.
Court's Strong Warning
A division bench headed by Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad warned the state government that if the police continue to fail in tracing the child, the probe would be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The bench observed that the complete absence of any clue, even after nearly seven years, pointed to a serious failure of the police machinery.
The court noted that despite the matter being under the High Court's direct scrutiny, the police have made no tangible progress and have repeatedly sought more time. In such circumstances, the bench said transferring the investigation to the CBI would be fully justified.
What the State Government Told the Court
At an earlier hearing, the state government had informed the court that a special investigation team (SIT) was conducting searches across several states and that details had been sought from the Railways regarding the travel history of passengers of the relevant age group in 2018. However, the court expressed clear dissatisfaction with these submissions, terming the prolonged failure to trace the child as deeply disturbing.
History of the Case
In previous hearings, the Director General of Police and the Gumla Superintendent of Police had personally appeared before the court, yet no meaningful progress was reported. The High Court had earlier emphasised effective use of data and the formulation of standard operating procedures (SOPs) in cases of missing children — directives that have yielded no concrete results in this case. This is the latest in a series of escalating judicial interventions as the court grows increasingly impatient with the state's response.
What Happens Next
The matter has been listed for further hearing on 9 June, when all summoned officers — every SP and investigating officer posted in Gumla since 2018 — will be required to be present and respond to the court's queries. A failure to demonstrate progress by that date could trigger a formal CBI transfer order.
Point of View
Despite court-mandated SOPs and the personal appearance of the DGP, suggests the failure is structural, not merely administrative. The CBI threat is a pressure valve, but the real question is whether any agency, central or state, has the forensic and data infrastructure to crack a cold missing-child case this old. India's record on long-pending missing-children investigations — particularly those involving girls from tribal and marginalised communities — remains deeply uneven, and this case is a pointed reminder of that accountability gap.
NationPress
12 May 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the girl missing from Gumla and when did she go missing?
A six-year-old girl went missing from Gumla district in Jharkhand in 2018. Her mother, Chandramuni Urain, filed a habeas corpus petition in the Jharkhand High Court seeking the child's whereabouts.
Why has the Jharkhand High Court summoned all SPs and investigating officers posted in Gumla?
The court summoned all Superintendents of Police and investigating officers posted in Gumla since 2018 because no tangible progress has been made in tracing the missing girl despite nearly seven years and repeated court hearings. The bench called the absence of any clue a serious failure of the police machinery.
What is the CBI transfer warning about?
The Jharkhand High Court warned that if the police continue to fail in tracing the child, it would transfer the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The court said such a transfer would be justified given the prolonged lack of progress.
What steps has the state government taken so far?
The state government informed the court that a special investigation team (SIT) had been conducting searches across several states and had sought Railways passenger data for the relevant age group from 2018. The High Court expressed dissatisfaction with these measures, calling the overall failure deeply disturbing.
When is the next hearing in the Jharkhand missing girl case?
The next hearing is scheduled for 9 June, when all summoned officers — every SP and investigating officer posted in Gumla since 2018 — must appear in person before the court and respond to its queries.
