New Delhi: The police will have to register FIRs immediately when a person is reported missing, irrespective of age and gender, the Supreme Court has clarified.
On May 22, the Supreme Court had directed police across the country to immediately register FIRs whenever a person was reported missing and ordered that anti-human trafficking units be made fully functional within four weeks. The Court had then noted that 47,000 children remained untraced in India, as reported by PTI.
In a more recent judgement, the bench of Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah and Justice R Mahadevan Justice R Mahadevan said some states appeared to be treating the word “person” in the court’s earlier order as referring only to children. This understanding was wrong, the Court said and warned that officials could face contempt proceedings for failing to follow its directions.
“We find this to be a deliberate and mala fide bogey raised by such states. The language of our earlier order is clear and unambiguous. The expression ‘person’ means every person, irrespective of age or gender,” the bench said.
If any state or Union Territory had not followed the direction in its true meaning, it could issue contempt notices to the concerned chief secretary and director general of police, the Court warned, as reported by The Times of India.
“They shall remain personally present before this Court and file their respective show-cause affidavits explaining why they should not be proceeded against and punished for their deliberate defiance and non-compliance with the orders of this Court,” it said.
Several states and Union Territories had not filed affidavits despite its earlier directions, the Court noted. It said such states and Union Territories were, at this stage, prima facie in contempt.
The Court accordingly directed that contempt notices be issued to the chief secretaries and DGPs of the concerned states and Union Territories. The officials will have to appear personally before the court and explain why contempt proceedings should not be started against them.
Ladakh had not filed its response, the Court specifically noted. It directed the chief Secretary and DGP of the Union Territory to file personally affirmed affidavits explaining the non-compliance.
Concerned agencies must complete the integration of relevant portals across the country within six weeks, the Court ordered. It fixed the next hearing for October 5, 2026.