Jharkhand HC Orders Joint CBI-CID Probe in Bokaro Missing Girl Case

Ranchi (IANS): The Jharkhand High Court ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to join forces with the state Crime Investigation Department (CID) to track down a 14-year-old girl missing from Bokaro district since October 2020.

Hearing a habeas corpus petition filed by the girl’s mother, Usha Jha, a division bench of Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad and Justice Sanjay Prasad directed both agencies to run a coordinated, joint investigation.

The bench ordered the CBI to provide critical technical assistance and investigative support, leveraging its central expertise to break the six-year-old deadlock.

The court formally added the CBI to the lawsuit after notifying Additional Solicitor General Prashant Pallav and scheduled the next hearing for July 27.

A 90% Facial Match in Bihar Fails DNA Testing

During the proceedings, CID officials revealed a recent lead: an e-KYC facial matching scan flagged a girl in Gopalganj, Bihar, with a 90% facial similarity to the missing teenager. However, subsequent biometric checks, including fingerprint matching, failed to confirm her identity.

Frustrated by the slow progress, the bench emphasized the urgent need for advanced scientific and technological tools. Citing a precedent from a Pune investigation, the court directed the joint team to utilize GAIT software (gait analysis technology used to identify people by their walking style) to advance the probe.

The bench criticized the CID’s current progress, noting that despite taking over the case, the agency had largely relied on the initial groundwork laid by the local state police. The judges observed that the technical superiority of a central agency like the CBI is now crucial to locating the victim.

Background of the Case

The abduction took place under the jurisdiction of the Pindrajora police station in Bokaro district. The 14-year-old minor vanished on October 16, 2020. An official police supervision report filed after the initial FIR formally classified the disappearance as a kidnapping.

While investigators quickly recovered the girl’s bicycle, books, and slippers near the spot where she was last seen, the trail went cold shortly after. The family ultimately turned to the High Court out of desperation after local police failed to secure a breakthrough.

Advocate General Rohitashya Roy represented the Jharkhand state government, while advocates Vincent Rohit Marandi and Ritu Nanda fought the case for the mother. Senior CID officials, including the Additional Director General (ADG) and members of the Special Investigation Team (SIT), attended the courtroom hearing in person.