Jharkhand HC hands over 2020 missing minor girl case to CBI after 6 years without breakthrough
SUMAN K SHRIVASTAVA RANCHI, August 27: The Jharkhand High Court has directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to take over the…
SUMAN K SHRIVASTAVA
RANCHI, August 27: The Jharkhand High Court has directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to take over the investigation into the disappearance of a minor girl from Bokaro who has remained untraced since October 16, 2020, after the State police and Crime Investigation Department (CID) failed to make substantial progress in the case.
A Division Bench of Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad and Justice Sanjay Prasad, in its order dated August 25, directed the CID to forthwith hand over the entire case record to the Joint Director, Eastern Zone, CBI, Ranchi. The CBI has also been directed to periodically review the investigation and submit a progress report to the court.
14-year-old girl disappeared on way to tuition
The girl was around 14 years old when she went missing from the Pindrajora area of Bokaro on October 16, 2020.
According to the petition filed by her mother, the girl left home at around 10.45 am to attend tuition classes but did not return. Shortly afterwards, a co-villager informed her family that a bicycle, slippers and notebooks belonging to the girl had been found scattered on the road leading towards Kurma Hospital.
An FIR was lodged at Pindrajora police station on October 16, 2020, seeking immediate steps to trace and recover the girl. Despite the passage of more than five-and-a-half years, she remained untraced.
High Court flags investigation lapses
The High Court repeatedly expressed concern over the lack of progress in the case.
The investigation was handed over to the CID only on April 20, 2026, nearly six years after the girl went missing. The court subsequently found that the CID investigation had not made substantial progress and observed that its efforts appeared largely repetitive of the earlier investigation conducted by the district police.
The court also questioned the failure to complete the Narco-Analysis Test of one of the suspects and the absence of a medical report supporting the claim that he was medically unfit for the test.
Possible trafficking angle emerges
During the investigation, a possible inter-State trafficking angle emerged. The State informed the High Court that digital activity connected with the investigation had been traced to Delhi, Telangana and West Bengal.
The State also sought directions for preservation and furnishing of historical digital records from social-media and technology companies, besides CDRs and IPDRs from telecom and internet service providers.
90% match found in Bihar
The CID’s Special Investigation Team pursued a lead in Gopalganj, Bihar, where a woman was found whose physical appearance reportedly matched that of the missing girl to around 90 per cent.
However, investigators could not conclusively establish her identity. The High Court questioned whether advanced technological tools such as gait analysis could be used for confirmation. The CID informed the court that such technology was not presently available in Jharkhand.
State agrees to CBI investigation
The State subsequently told the High Court that it had no objection to handing over the investigation to the CBI, maintaining that the ultimate objective was to trace the missing girl.
The CBI also conveyed that it had no objection to taking over the investigation.
The State’s affidavit referred to the cross-State and cross-border dimensions of the case, the need to obtain digital evidence and the limitations in accessing advanced forensic and technological resources within Jharkhand.
CBI directed to take over investigation
The High Court concluded that the case required investigation by a central agency to secure the ends of justice and trace the missing minor.
It directed the CID, through its ADG, to forthwith hand over the entire case record to the Joint Director, Eastern Zone, CBI, Ranchi.
The CBI Director has been directed to ensure proper investigation and conduct periodic reviews. The State and CID have assured full and unconditional cooperation.
The matter will next be heard on October 27, 2026, when the CBI is required to submit an affidavit detailing the progress of the investigation.
Court cautions against media interviews
The High Court, while concluding its order, noted the sensitivity of the matter involving a missing minor girl and observed that the issue should not be propagated through media interviews.
