Probe panel indicts UP police, admn. for Nithari killings

New Delhi, Jan 17 (UNI) Indicting the Uttar Pradesh police for ''gross negligence'' in handling the cases of missing children in Nithari village, the Central Inquiry Committee has said the local administration also failed to handle these cases with due seriousness.

The four-member Committee, headed by Joint Secretary in the ministry of Women and Child Development Manjula Krishnan, stated this in its report submitted today.

It has also not ruled out the possibility of organ trade as being the reason behind the serial killings of women and children.

The Committee has recommended setting of a Trauma Centre to counsel the family members of the children killed in Nithari village. Moreover, an Anganwadi centre should also be set up for children of the village who are living under the shadow of fear following these serial killings, it said.

The panel, whose report would be given to the CBI, also favoured widening of the ambit of the CBI probe to include cases of all such missing persons. It has suggested appointment of a DIG rank official in all the states to handle the cases of missing persons.

The panel, which was set up by the government a fortnight ago, has members from the Women and Child Development Ministry and Home Ministry.

Meanwhile, the government has already initiated work on collection of data on missing persons from the state.

UNI