Lucknow, Jun 10 The Allahabad High Court on Wednesday directed the Lucknow Commissioner of Police to submit a detailed progress report on 34 minor girls who remain missing in the city, while taking note of police efforts that led to the recovery of 227 girls over the past six months.
The direction was issued by a Lucknow bench of Justice Praveen Kumar Giri during the hearing of a habeas corpus petition.
According to personal affidavits filed by the Commissioner of Police and the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) of Lucknow, 261 minor girls were reported abducted, kidnapped, enticed away or missing during the period under review.
Of them, 227 have been traced and recovered, while efforts are continuing to locate the remaining 34 girls.
The court recorded the presence of senior police officials, including the DCP, and noted their assurance that all possible measures were being taken to trace the missing girls.
Police authorities informed the court that special monitoring mechanisms had been put in place and officers across all zones of the commissionerate had been directed to accord priority to such cases.
The DCP assured the court that investigations would be closely monitored at the zonal level and that action would be initiated against any investigating officer, station house officer or circle officer found lacking in diligence.
The Uttar Pradesh government also assured the court that departmental proceedings would be initiated in cases where negligence is established.
While expressing concern over the unresolved cases, the court acknowledged the importance of sustained efforts to safeguard the life and liberty of minor girls and their families. It also directed judicial officers to keep a watch on the progress of investigations and stressed accountability at every level of the police hierarchy.
The court directed the Commissioner of Police to file a personal affidavit containing the latest status of all 34 pending cases by July 3.
It further observed that continued coordination between police and judicial authorities was necessary to ensure the early recovery of the remaining girls and to bring those responsible for their disappearance to justice.
