‘Disgusting Conduct': HC Slams UP Police For Failing To Trace Man For Over 2 Months, Seeks DGP's Reply

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On June 4, the court had remarked that the police often carve out a larger than life image for themselves shielding themselves from receiving and attending to public grievances
The Allahabad High Court recently pulled up the Uttar Pradesh police for their failure to trace a missing man nearly two-and-a-half months after his reported abduction, calling the conduct 'disgusting" and symptomatic of a system where no personal responsibility is ever fixed.
The court was hearing a habeas corpus petition filed by Nitesh Kumar, whose brother has been missing since March 31, 2025. Despite a First Information Report (FIR) being filed on April 3, there has been no significant progress in the case.
On June 4, a division bench of Justices J.J. Munir and Anil Kumar had expressed grave concern over the recurring pattern of missing person cases being neglected by law enforcement. The bench pointed out that such delays can often result in the death of the abductee, and held that the responsibility, at least prima facie, must lie with the officer heading the jurisdiction where the crime was reported.
'We notice that the police are carving out a larger than life image for themselves shielding themselves from receiving and attending to public grievances," the court remarked. It ordered the Commissioner of Police, Varanasi, to file a personal affidavit explaining the delay in recovery and directed that notices be issued to all respondents.
A hearing on June 12 only deepened the court's dismay. Despite a police team being formed on June 7 — three days after the court's initial order — the division bench of Justices Siddhartha Varma and Harvir Singh were informed that there had been no progress whatsoever.
'It is rather disgusting," the bench observed, reacting sharply to the continued lack of results.
The judges have now directed the Director General of Police (DGP), Uttar Pradesh, to get personally acquainted with the case and submit a detailed affidavit by July 9.
First Published:
June 17, 2025, 14:37 IST

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