Bombay high court asks Maharashtra to strengthen cells to trace missing persons

Coming down heavily on the Maharashtra government, the Bombay high court today asked the state home department to rework its circular on setting up of special cells in every police station to trace missing persons and formulate a policy to deal with the issue.

According to the circular dated December 22, 2010, a special team of one assistant sub-inspector and two constables has to be set up to trace missing persons.

"How can just three persons be assigned? Merely saying that a special cell has been set up is not enough. It has to be in a certain proportion. Out of the total strength in a police station, half must be assigned for law and order and the other half for investigation. From the investigation team, half the police officials should be assigned to this special cell," Justice Khanwilkar remarked.

The court further said the home department should come up with some policy to tackle this. "The entire purpose is lost otherwise," the bench observed.

The court was hearing a petition filed by one Jitendra Singh whose 12-year-old mentally challenged child, Ashish, went missing from Pune railway station in November last year.

The high court today transferred the case to the state CID after the Pune police failed to trace the boy.

"Although the police arrested the accused Pramod Kamble, they could not trace the boy. Even the accused was let out on bail," Singh's lawyer Amit Bhowmik said.

The high court has directed the CID to trace the boy and present him before the court on February 1.