Missing Children – Jharkhand High Court Seeks Aadhaar SOP Clarity
Missing Children – The Jharkhand High Court has urged both the Central and State governments to evaluate whether a clearly defined Standard Operating Procedure should be created for the use of Aadhaar data in efforts to trace missing children. The direction came during the hearing of a habeas corpus petition related to the disappearance of a minor girl from Gumla district in 2018.
Court Examines Long-Pending Missing Child Case
The matter reached the High Court after the girl’s mother, Chandramuni Urain, sought judicial intervention, expressing concern that her daughter may have been trafficked. According to the petition, the child went missing in 2018, but a First Information Report was registered only in 2019. The mother has alleged that despite filing the complaint, there was little meaningful progress in the investigation.
Disappointed with the pace of the probe, she approached the High Court in September last year, requesting urgent action to determine her daughter’s whereabouts. The court has been monitoring developments in the case since then.
Bench Seeks Detailed Status Report
A division bench comprising Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad and Justice AK Rai directed the State government and police authorities to submit a comprehensive update on the investigation. During Thursday’s proceedings, government counsel informed the court that the FIR had been lodged on the mother’s complaint and that the investigation remains active.
Officials, including the Gumla Deputy Superintendent of Police and the officer in charge of the Anti-Human Trafficking Police Station, appeared before the bench in compliance with earlier instructions. They briefed the court on steps taken so far to trace the missing girl.
Special Investigation Team Formed
Given the seriousness of the allegations, authorities have constituted a new Special Investigation Team to intensify efforts. The SIT has reportedly pursued leads beyond Jharkhand, including visits to Delhi, in an attempt to identify possible clues about the girl’s location.
The State informed the court that the missing child’s photograph has been circulated widely and uploaded across relevant platforms to aid identification. Despite these measures, officials acknowledged that no decisive breakthrough has been achieved yet.
Aadhaar Data and Privacy Concerns
While reviewing the case, the High Court underscored the potential role of technology in strengthening investigations involving missing children. The bench suggested that law enforcement agencies may benefit from a structured framework governing the lawful use of Aadhaar-linked information, provided strict privacy safeguards are maintained.
The judges observed that without a clear policy, authorities may face uncertainty in accessing digital identity data during urgent investigations. At the same time, they emphasized that any such mechanism must operate within the boundaries of data protection and individual rights.
Need for Stronger Institutional Response
The court made it clear that cases involving missing minors demand sustained attention and cannot be handled routinely. In earlier hearings, the bench had raised concerns about child trafficking risks and questioned whether investigative agencies were equipped to respond effectively in such situations.
Reiterating its concern, the High Court directed the authorities to submit a detailed and satisfactory report outlining further progress and future steps. The matter will be reviewed again after the updated report is filed.
The case has drawn attention to broader issues surrounding missing children investigations, inter-state coordination, and the responsible use of digital identity systems. As the proceedings continue, the focus remains on securing concrete leads and ensuring that investigative efforts are strengthened through clearer procedures and accountability.