Allahabad High Court Critiques Police Handling of Kidnapping Cases

Court's Observations on Police Accountability

The Allahabad High Court has issued a directive highlighting that police officials frequently avoid addressing public complaints and resolving them. Justices J.J. Munir and Anil Kumar noted that there is often a lack of accountability among police in cases of abduction, leading to negligence.

This ruling came during the hearing of a writ petition filed by a man named Nitesh Kumar, who reported his brother missing. Nitesh claims that the police in Varanasi have failed to locate his brother.

The court has instructed the Uttar Pradesh government to submit a response regarding this matter. Additionally, the police commissioner of Varanasi has been ordered to present a personal affidavit by the next hearing date (June 12), explaining why the abducted individual has not yet been found.

The bench expressed concern that the absence of accountability often results in the murder of abducted individuals. The court suggested that if a missing person is not located promptly and is subsequently killed, the police officer responsible for the jurisdiction where the abduction was reported should be held accountable.