The Madras High court today directed the DGP to issue a circular to SPs of all districts to monitor investigation of cases relating to missing children.
If such children cannot be traced by lower level officers, then the case should be transferred to DSP or ASP, the court directed.
The court's Madurai Bench was hearing a Habeas Corpus petition filed by a woman who sought a direction to authorities to produce her missing daughter.
A Division Bench of Justice S.Nagamuthu and Justice V.S.Ravi said a police Inspector had sought nine adjournments from December 29 to October 11 but could not trace the missing girl.
Now after the case was transferred to the Tenkasi ASP, Aravidan, the girl has been produced, and case filed against the man who kidnapped her in 2014 when she was 17 years old and he has been remanded to judicial custody, the court said.
The judicial conscience had been shaken when the girl told the court that she was thinking of ending her life along with her child."This court has onerous constitutional obligation to protect the life and liberty of the citizens."
Though the girl had married the man as a minor, she was willing to go with her parents now, the judges said and allowed her to go with her mother.
The girl was produced in court along with her four-month -old baby.
The judges said similarly a 14-year-old girl,who was three months pregnant, appeared before the court and did not want to undergo abortion.
As officials delay the probe into missing children,it became advantageous for perpatrators of the crimes to exploit the child sexually and make them pregnant, the court said.
"In these kinds of cases, we apprehend that adequate attention is not bestowed in the matter of investigation. During the past three months we have experienced many cases. During the investigation the SI or Inspector was not able to make any breakthrough."
"While higher ranking officials are able to trace the child with in shortest span of time,it is not understandable why officers in the ranks of SI or Inspector are not able to trace them," the judge said.
"When the child appears in the court with a child in her womb or lap,it becomes emotionally impossible for the court to decide the future of the child, though legally it could enforce law," the judges said.
