Ranchi, Mar 20: The Jharkhand High Court on Thursday strongly reprimanded state police over the handling of a case involving a missing 18-year-old girl from Bokaro, expressing serious concern over delays and lack of progress in the investigation.
Hearing a habeas corpus petition filed by the girl’s mother, a Division Bench led by Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad questioned the Bokaro Superintendent of Police on why the case should not be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The court observed that “negligence in such sensitive cases cannot be tolerated” and noted the absence of tangible results despite months of probe.
According to case details, the girl has been missing since July 31, 2025, with an FIR (Case No. 147/2025) registered at Pindrajora Police Station in Bokaro. During the investigation, the family received a phone call on December 11, 2025, indicating that the girl was in Pune. Police subsequently detained the caller, who claimed she was staying with an acquaintance in the city.
However, in a major lapse, the suspect escaped custody while being escorted by police to Pune by train, derailing a crucial lead in the case.
Appearing before the court, the Bokaro SP said multiple raids have been conducted in Pune and nearby areas to trace the girl. He added that another suspect has been detained and that a narco-analysis test is being planned to generate fresh leads.
The Bench, however, remained unconvinced, stating that “the police have failed to produce tangible results despite months of investigation.” It also referred to a 2020 Bokaro case in which a missing woman was later found murdered, stressing the need for “greater urgency, accountability and sensitivity” in such probes.
Warning of strict action, the court said it may transfer the investigation to the CBI if the police fail to show satisfactory progress in the coming days.
