The Tripura High Court has mandated a set of comprehensive guidelines to ensure effective investigations in cases of missing persons within the state. The Secretary of Home Affairs has been instructed to immediately issue and enforce a standing operating procedure (SoP) to be adhered to during these investigations.
In a significant ruling, Justice T Amarnath Goud emphasized the crucial role of the police in tracing missing individuals, stressing that delays could jeopardize lives. Highlighting the urgency, the Court underscored its duty to provide relief to distressed families.
The guidelines set forth include:
- Media Alerts: Within a week of receiving a complaint, missing persons’ photographs must be published in newspapers, television, social media, and other prominent outlets. For minors or major girls, parental or guardian consent is required before publication.
- Family Inquiries: Immediate investigation of all clues from the missing person’s belongings and communication with family members.
- Past History: Examination of any previous incidents of the individual going missing, including scrutiny of personal items like computers and cell phones, with family consent.
- Hospital Checks: Inquiries at hospitals for unidentified persons should be promptly made.
- Qualified Officers: Only Inspectors of Police or higher ranks are to handle these investigations.
- Violence Reports: Investigation into any past incidents of family violence.
- Rapid Searches: Searches in hospitals and mortuaries must occur within seven days of the complaint.
- Rewards: Announcing rewards for information within a month of disappearance.
- Task Force Feasibility: Assessment of establishing a multi-task force dedicated to locating missing individuals.
- Communication: Wireless messages about the case must be sent to District Superintendents of Police immediately, with regular progress reports submitted to the Director General of Police and communicated to the family every 15 days.
- DNA Profiling: Unidentified dead bodies’ DNA should be matched with the missing persons.
- Certification: Issuance of a “Certificate of Missing” after six months of diligent efforts if the person remains untraced, with cases transferred to the Integrated Anti Human Trafficking Unit (IAHTU) for further investigation after four months.
The Court’s intervention came after a series of pleas highlighted the inadequacies in the State police’s efforts to trace missing persons. One notable case involved a petitioner’s daughter with a severe brain disorder who went missing on February 4. Despite lodging a complaint and subsequent follow-ups, there was no progress, prompting the petitioner to seek the Court’s help.
The State counsel assured the Court of the police department’s commitment to assist in these investigations. With the issuance of these guidelines, the plea was disposed of, marking a significant step towards more efficient and responsive handling of missing persons cases in Tripura.
