The Jharkhand High Court on Tuesday expressed strong displeasure with the Gumla police for their inability to locate a minor girl who has been missing for the past seven years. The court, during the hearing of a habeas corpus petition, observed that the investigation had made no significant progress and suggested that the case be transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Petition Details
The petition was filed by Chandramani Orion, who reported that her daughter, then aged six, went missing from Khora village in Gumla district in September 2018. Despite lodging a complaint with the police, Orion claimed that the investigation had stalled with no results.
Court's Observations
A bench comprising Justices Sujit Narayan Prasad and Sanjay Prasad remarked that the police had failed to trace the child for seven years and that it would likely take another year if the current approach continued. The court observed that the investigation should be handed over to the CBI for a more thorough probe.
Police Presence in Court
The Gumla Superintendent of Police, the head of the Special Investigation Team (SIT), and the investigating officer were present in court during the hearing. The state counsel informed the bench that three SIT teams had been dispatched to Mumbai, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu. Further updates on the investigation would be available upon the teams' return. The case is scheduled for a hearing after a week.
Previous Directives
Earlier, the court had ordered the Director General of Police (DGP) to appear in the case. The DGP appeared virtually and assured the court that the child would be traced soon.
