Ranchi, March 19 (IANS) The Jharkhand High Court on Thursday slammed state police over the handling of a case involving a missing 18-year-old girl from Bokaro, raising concerns over delays and lack of progress in the investigation.

Hearing a habeas corpus petition filed by the woman’s mother, a Division Bench led by Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad questioned the Bokaro Superintendent of Police (SP) 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 expressed dissatisfaction with the pace and direction of the probe. It noted the absence of tangible progress despite several months have already passed.

Counsel for the petitioner, Vincent Rohit Marqui, informed the Bench that the girl has been missing since July 31, 2025. An FIR (Case No. 147/2025) was registered at Pindrajora Police Station in Bokaro in connection with the disappearance.

During the investigation, the family reportedly received a phone call on December 11, 2025, indicating that the girl was in Pune. Police subsequently detained the caller, who claimed during interrogation that the girl was staying with an acquaintance in the city.

However, in a serious lapse, the detained man managed to escape while being escorted by police to Pune by train, derailing a key lead in the case.

Appearing virtually, the Bokaro SP told the court that multiple raids have been conducted in Pune and nearby areas to trace the missing girl. Police have also detained another suspect and are preparing to conduct a narco-analysis test in an attempt to gather further leads.

The Bench, however, remained unconvinced. Recalling a 2020 case from Bokaro where a missing woman was later found to have been murdered, the court stressed the need for greater urgency, accountability and sensitivity in such investigations.

The matter remains under consideration, with the court indicating it may take a call on transferring the probe to the CBI if progress remains unsatisfactory.

–IANS

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