“It is hard to believe that the police of two states have been unable to find the woman. It’s unbelievable. Your (police) methodology is simple. You go and ask the grandparents. Is this the way? Since when have the police become polite?” the bench remarked.
Unbelievable That Police In Two States Can’t Find A Woman: Bombay HC
Mumbai: Last week, the Bombay High Court criticized the Maharashtra police for their “superficial” investigation in locating a woman who went missing three months ago after traveling to Rajasthan, leaving her infant behind.
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A division bench of Justices Bharati Dangre and Manjusha Deshpande instructed the superintendent of police in Kolhapur to collaborate with his counterpart in Jalod, Rajasthan, to ensure the woman is found and brought to court by June 20.
The bench expressed disbelief that the police forces of both Maharashtra and Rajasthan were unable to locate the woman.
The court was hearing a habeas corpus petition filed by the woman’s husband from Kolhapur. He alleged that his wife was being detained by her father, who disapproved of their inter-caste marriage. The couple had married in February 2022 and had a baby boy in November 2023.
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In February this year, the woman received news that her father was unwell and wished to see her. She traveled to Rajasthan, leaving her baby with her husband, but did not return and became unreachable. Consequently, her husband filed a police complaint and then a court petition.
Last month, the high court had instructed the Kolhapur police to go to Rajasthan to find her. On Tuesday, the police’s advocate informed the court that they had visited the woman’s residence in Rajasthan but could not locate her. They had only recorded statements from her grandparents and neighbors.
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The bench criticized this approach, stating that merely recording the grandparents’ statements was insufficient. They questioned the police’s investigative methods, emphasizing the need to be considerate of the infant who had been without his mother for three months.
“It is hard to believe that the police of two states have been unable to find the woman. It’s unbelievable. Your (police) methodology is simple. You go and ask the grandparents. Is this the way? Since when have the police become polite?” the bench remarked.
The court noted that following its previous order, the phones of the woman and her parents were switched off, and criticized the police for not being able to trace them.
“I thought the Maharashtra police was the best. Have mercy on the three-month-old child without a mother,” the court said.
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