In a stark reminder of systemic failures in child protection, the Jharkhand High Court has issued a stern summons to the state’s Home Secretary following the unresolved disappearance of a six-year-old girl from Gumla district since 2018. The bench, comprising Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad and Justice AK Rai, expressed profound dismay during Wednesday’s hearing on a habeas corpus petition filed by the child’s mother, Chandramuni Urain.
Eight long years have passed without a trace of the girl, prompting the court to grill the Gumla Superintendent of Police (SP), who appeared as directed. The SP revealed the formation of a fresh Special Investigation Team (SIT) that scoured Delhi for leads, circulated the child’s photos widely, yet yielded no results. The court scheduled the next hearing for January 27, mandating the Home Secretary’s virtual presence.
The judges didn’t mince words, spotlighting glaring gaps in monitoring nomadic communities from states like Rajasthan. These groups pitch tents across Jharkhand without identity checks or police oversight, raising alarms about their potential involvement in child trafficking networks, including the notorious Gulguliya gang recently exposed in kidnappings.
‘There’s no guideline for these wanderers who camp freely,’ the bench noted, questioning why base cards or IDs aren’t verified. With child trafficking rings thriving unchecked, the court demanded immediate, robust guidelines and stringent action from the state machinery.
This case underscores a broader crisis: repeated pleas from the family fell on deaf ears until the court intervened. Deputy Advocate General Sachin Kumar represented the government, but the bench made it clear—such cases demand zero tolerance and proactive policy overhaul to safeguard vulnerable children.