Missing Gumla girl case: Jharkhand HC told FIR-named accused to undergo Narco test in Gujarat
THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK Ranchi, July 11: The Jharkhand High Court has been informed that the accused named in the FIR in…
THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Ranchi, July 11: The Jharkhand High Court has been informed that the accused named in the FIR in the missing Gumla girl case will undergo a narco analysis test at the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), Gandhinagar, Gujarat, after a testing slot was allotted between August 3 and August 11, 2026. The court also directed the State to file a fresh affidavit on the progress of the investigation and compliance with its earlier order directing an inquiry into alleged lapses by Gumla police officers.
The development came during the hearing of W.P. (Cr.) (HB)(DB) No. 628 of 2025 before a division bench of Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad and Justice Sanjay Prasad on July 9.
The State informed the court that the accused, identified as Bukhli Lakra (respondent No. 5) in the petition and named in the FIR, has been allotted a slot for a Narco Analysis Test by the Directorate of Forensic Science, Gandhinagar. The schedule was subsequently confirmed by the Superintendent of Police, Gumla.
The court also recorded the presence of the investigating officer, Sub-Inspector Rahul Kumar Dasoundhi, and took on record a second supplementary counter affidavit filed on behalf of the Superintendent of Police, Gumla.
HC Seeks Compliance With Earlier Order
The bench noted that no affidavit had been filed regarding the inquiry it had ordered on May 12, 2026, and directed the State to submit a fresh affidavit covering both the status of the ongoing investigation and the court-directed inquiry. The matter will next be heard on August 17, 2026.
High Court Earlier Flagged ‘Lethargic’ Investigation
In its detailed order dated May 12, 2026, the High Court had raised serious questions over the investigation into AHTU (Gumla) P.S. Case No. 03 of 2020, relating to the disappearance of a girl from Gumla.
The bench noted that although the FIR, registered on February 6, 2020, specifically named Bukhli Lakra as the prime suspect, police failed to interrogate her promptly. The court observed that the informant had repeatedly identified her, and several witness statements in the case diary also said the missing girl frequently visited the accused’s house.
The judges said investigators accepted the accused’s family’s claim that she had gone to Ranchi for medical treatment without verifying the information through hospital records or any independent inquiry. The court described the investigation as reflecting a “lethargic attitude” and observed that “time is the essence” in missing person cases.
Inquiry Into Role of Gumla Police Officers
Taking note of the alleged shortcomings, the High Court directed the Principal Secretary, Home Department, and the Director General of Police, Jharkhand, to conduct an inquiry into the conduct of the Superintendents of Police posted in Gumla between 2018 and 2022, as well as all investigating officers who handled the case.
The authorities were asked to determine whether there had been any dereliction of duty and submit their findings before the court. However, during the latest hearing, the bench noted that the inquiry report had not yet been filed.
