Delhi HC directs DCP to form SIT to trace 12-year-old girl, missing since August 2022

New Delhi [India], March 23 : The Delhi High Court on Thursday directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP-Crime) to form a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to trace a 12-year-old girl, missing since August 2022, within a week.

The direction has been issued on a Habeas Corpus petition moved by the parents of the missing girl.

The high court has also transferred the investigation into the matter to the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU-Crime Branch) of Delhi Police.

The division bench, comprising justices Siddharth Mriadul and Mini Pushkarna, passed the direction on Thursday, listing the matter on April 5 for further hearing.

The bench said, "In view of the facts and circumstances antecedents and attendant as is evident from a reading of the averments made in the writ petition, we consider it appropriate to transfer the investigation regarding the disappearance of the 12-year-old daughter of the petitioners to the Anti Human Trafficking Unit (Crime Branch), to be supervised by the DCP concerned."

The DCP concerned was directed to set up an SIT to locate, recover and produce the missing child before the court expeditiously and preferably within a week.

The mother of the missing girl filed a petition through advocates Utkarsh Singh, Md. Tauheed Arshi and Mohd. Humaid, stating that they used to live in Nepal at the residence of one Gulfisha. Alimunish, the mother-in-law of the girl's mother, visited her at the Nepal home quite often.

In July 2022, Alimunisha told the girl's mother to send her to Delhi. "I will give you Rs 1,500 per month and will make your daughter study in school", the petition quoted the mother's sister-in-law as telling her, adding that she convinced the girl's family to take her to Delhi in the hope that their daughter would find a better life and receive a proper education.

It stated further that the girl was taken to Delhi and was residing at the house of her caretaker at Shaheen Bagh. Soon after coming to Delhi, the girl started to take tuition on August 10, 2022.

The minor girl according to the complaint, has been missing from her caretaker's home since August 10, 2022, adding that she left with Rs 3,000.

The complaint filed by Wasim, Alimunisha's husband, accused the minor girl of theft and an FIR was registered at Shaheen Bagh police station.

Meanwhile, the girl's father filed a missing complaint in Nepal. After a while, Alimunisha rang him up and asked him to withdraw the missing complaint in exchange for some money, the petition stated.

Last year, the girl's mother was forcefully given Rs 3,000 by Alimunisha, the petition stated further.

In the plea, the girl's parents claimed further that when they tried to reach Wasim, he asked them to drop the complaint saying that they would get their daughter back in 4-5 years.

It stated further that the Delhi Police conducted multiple search operations on GB Road to trace the missing girl, adding that officers of the police station concerned were also contacted but they couldn't gather any information on her whereabouts.

The girl's father also put advertisements in newspapers but to no avail.

Since then, the petitioners said they have been fearing for the safety of their missing daughter.

The girl's parents, in their plea, said they fear that their daughter may have been trafficked to someone in India or abroad by the Wasim and his wife or is in their illegal custody.

The investigation should also be monitored by the high court and should focus on finding out if it's an isolated incident or the handiwork of a child trafficking racket in Delhi, the petitioners urged.

The petitioner was filed with the help of Shakti Vahini, an NGO working to prevent child trafficking.