New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued notice to Delhi Police on a public interest litigation (PIL) concerning cases of missing persons in the national capital.
During the brief hearing, the Delhi HC observed that two contrasting narratives are currently prevalent in the media regarding the issue of missing persons in Delhi, and said it would examine the factual position after receiving responses from the authorities.
Apart from the Delhi Police, it sought responses from the Union government, the city government, and the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) in the matter.
Posting the PIL for further hearing on February 18, the Delhi High Court also inquired whether a similar matter is presently pending before the Supreme Court.
A day before, the plea was mentioned before Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya for urgent listing, seeking action in the alleged disappearance of nearly 800 people in the national capital during the first two weeks of January this year.
The development follows closely after the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) took suo motu cognisance of the matter and issued notices to the Chief Secretary of the Delhi government as well as the Commissioner of Police, Delhi, directing them to submit a detailed report within two weeks.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Police have dismissed reports of a sudden increase in cases of missing children and warned rumour mongers of strict legal action for “spreading unnecessary fear by misrepresenting data”.
The police rejected claims of any spike in missing persons cases, stating that official data shows no abnormal rise and that figures have remained broadly stable for nearly a decade.
Police data further showed that annual missing-person figures have hovered between 23,000 and 24,000 since 2016, despite rapid population growth in the national capital.
Taking to the social media platform X on February 6, the Delhi Police said, “We appeal to citizens not to fall prey to rumours about a sudden increase in cases of missing children. While refuting such claims, we also warn rumour mongers of strict legal action for spreading unnecessary fear by misrepresenting data. The safety of every child is paramount for the Delhi Police. The Delhi Police is committed to providing 24×7 service and locating missing/abducted children and reuniting them with their families expeditiously.”
(IANS)
