Observing that non-registration of FIR in man-missing cases often led to delayed identification of bodies, Madras High Court today directed jurisdictional police stations to register FIR immediately whenever such complaints are made.
A division bench comprising Justice S Rajeswaran and Justice P N Prakash passed the order while disposing of a habeas corpus petition filed by the father of a 20-year old youth, who drowned in sea and his body was disposed of as unidentified in 2013, seeking to produce him in the court.
"If the police officers had shown a little amount of alacrity and registered a FIR on the man missing complaint given by the petitioner, he would have got the body of his son even before it was buried," it said.
Only if a regular "man missing" case was registered, will information be transmitted by the Station House officer, to the Crime Records Bureau in Chennai and not when mere Community Service Register (CSR) was recorded, it said.
The court ordered that the jurisdictional police should file the FIR as soon as complaints were made before them as per the directions issued by the Director General of Police on January 31, 2005.
It commended the work of special team of State Crime Records Bureau which had been able to solve a number of man missing cases.
Immanuvel of the city had gone missing from June 10, 2013 after he told his father that he was going to Cuddalore. When petitioner approached the jurisdictional police at Taramani, who asked him to go to Cuddalore and make the complaint.
As there was no progress in the investigation, the petitioner moved the court with the HCP.
