Missing child: crime branch takes over investigation

The court last week had expressed concern about the spate of missing child cases that has been piling up.

“There is a spate of missing child cases. What is wrong we don’t know,” a division bench of Justice Ranjana Desai and Justice Rajesh Ketkar had observed while hearing a petition filed by a woman whose husband had absconded with their four-year-old son last year.

The petitioner,Priti Chug,had moved the High Court after her husband Bunty,who is into power loom business in the city,fled with their son Sujal (4-and-half-years-old) on November 14,2008,the day Priti was supposed to have got access of the child following earlier court orders.

Following the court notice,father and brother of Bunty remained present in court on Monday and after being quizzed by the court admitted that they did not know where their son and grandson were.

Justice Desai,however,refused to buy the story and cautioned that they would get into trouble if things turn otherwise.

“Kitne din bhagega. Hum usko chodne wale nahi hai. Poore police ko peeche lagayenge,” Justice Desai said. Justice Desai further said that they would not hesitate to bring in the CBI if needed.

“We must know where the child is and if the child is safe,” the court said.

The court has directed the crime branch to “make vigorous efforts to trace the child.”

Meanwhile,Priti’s lawyer Soniya Miskin informed the court that Priti’s mother-in-law was evading to give any statements to the police. Miskin expressed apprehension that the mother might be with Bunty. The Court has asked the police to record mother-in-law’s statement also. After numerous court proceedings in the lower court and the High Court,it was ordered in October 2008 that the custody of the child should be handed over to the mother,Priti.

On the day when Bunty was supposed to provide access of the child to Priti,he fled with the child. Priti now fears that he might leave the country with her child as he has connections in Dubai and Germany.