The Jharkhand High Court has transferred the investigation into the disappearance of a minor girl missing since October 2020 to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), citing the interstate dimensions of the case and possible involvement of trafficking. It directed the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to hand over all records and ordered a periodic review by the CBI.A bench of Justices Sujit Narayan Prasad and Sanjay Prasad was dealing with a habeas corpus plea filed by the mother of the girl who went missing from her hometown in 2020.“This court has exercised the power to transfer investigation from the State Police to CBI in cases where such transfer is considered necessary to discover the truth and to meet the ends of justice or because of the complexity of the issues arising for examination or where the case involves national or international ramifications,” the August 25 order read.The court noted that despite more than five and a half years having elapsed, no progress had been made in tracing the missing girl, and even drew reference to another similar case from Bokaro where improper investigation led to the murder of a missing child.Girl missing since 2020, still untracedThe case concerns a minor girl aged about 14 years, who went missing from Bokaro, Jharkhand, on October 16, 2020. She had left home around 10.45 am to attend tuition classes but never returned. Shortly afterwards, her bicycle, slippers and notebooks were found scattered on the road, raising concerns that she had been abducted. Justices Sujit Narayan Prasad and Sanjay Prasad noted that the CID investigation failed to yield any concrete clue about the missing minor.Her father lodged an FIR the same day. Despite repeated efforts by the family and the passage of over five years, the district police failed to trace her. The mother, hence, approached the high court with a habeas corpus plea and directions for her daughter’s recovery. A habeas corpus petition requires a person under arrest or in detention to be brought before a judge so the court can decide if the detention is legal.The petitioner said she learnt about the remedy of filing a habeas corpus petition only recently, after coming across another case involving a missing girl from the same police station, which prompted her to file the present petition before the court.Story continues below this adAlso Read | 26 years apart: Madras High Court dissolves marriage, but sets conditions over propertyShe stated that she repeatedly approached various authorities, including the superintendent of police (SP), Bokaro, and the officer-in-charge of the local police station through written applications on several occasions, but to no avail.She said she had also submitted representations to the President of India and the Chief Minister and Governor of Jharkhand, highlighting the inaction and apathy of the local authorities. Yet, no concrete steps have been taken to trace and recover her daughter, she claimed.During the proceedings in May, the state informed the court that the case was transferred to the CID on April 20, which constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT). However, the court found little substantial progress. The investigation later indicated possible interstate trafficking, with digital activity traced to Delhi, Telangana and West Bengal. The state also acknowledged limitations in accessing advanced forensic technology and digital records.CID probe failed to trace girl: CourtThe high court noted that the CID investigation and SIT’s efforts failed to yield any concrete clue about the missing minor. It observed that the investigation had disclosed interstate dimensions and possible trafficking, with digital activity traced to Delhi, Telangana and West Bengal.Story continues below this adThe court noted the state’s admission that advanced forensic tools such as gait analysis were unavailable in Jharkhand, while the case required sophisticated technical and forensic resources.Also Read | CAPF rejects candidate for being ‘1 cm short’, Gauhati High Court orders to measure againIt observed that the investigation involved cross-state and potentially cross-border digital trails, including the need to obtain information from foreign entities such as Meta and Google, making the involvement of a central agency necessary.Considering the minor’s prolonged disappearance, the complexity of the investigation and the need for specialised resources, the court concluded that the investigation should be entrusted to the CBI to facilitate efforts to trace and recover the missing girl.