HC asks Maha to strengthen cells to trace missing persons

Mumbai, Jan 17 (PTI) Coming down heavily on theMaharashtra government, the Bombay High Court today asked thestate Home department to rework its circular on setting up ofspecial cells in every police station to trace missing personsand formulate a policy to deal with the issue.

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

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

The court further said the home department should comeup with some policy to tackle this. "The entire purpose islost otherwise," the bench observed.

The court was hearing a petition filed by one JitendraSingh 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 stateCID 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 onbail," Singh''s lawyer Amit Bhowmik said.

The HC has directed the CID to trace the boy and presenthim before the court on February 1.