Taking suo motu cognisance of a news report about a 19-year-old deaf, mute and mentally-challenged girl going missing after she failed to deboard from the Metro even as her mother and sister got out of the train, the Delhi High Court on Wednesday called for the status report of the case from SHO Police Station Adarsh Nagar, the DCP Metro and SHO Police Station Jahangirpuri.
A Bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Deepa Sharma also called for the case diary in relation to the said incident. The Bench took up the matter on its own motion after coming across a news article on Wednesdsay morning about 19-year-old Sunita who went missing while returning from LNJP hospital on April 21. While her mother and sister deboarded at Jahangirpuri metro station, Sunita could not. CCTV footage showed Sunita deboarding at the next station. Thereafter, she went missing.
Returning from hospital
“We have come across a news article... in relation to a 19-year-old girl named Sunita – who is deaf and dumb and mentally challenged, going missing while returning with her mother and sister from LNJP hospital in the metro.
“As per the news report, Sunita was unable to get out of the metro at Jahangirpuri station, while her mother and sister deboarded the train. The girl deboarded at the next station i.e. Adarsh Nagar Metro Station. A perusal of the news report shows that the police collected the CCTV footage from Adarsh Nagar Metro station, which showed her exiting the said station,” noted the Bench.
Not located yet
“The incident is of April 21. The missing girl has still not been located. In view of the aforesaid, we take suo motu notice of the matter,” it said in its order.
“Let status report be filed by SHO Police Station Adarsh Nagar, the DCP Metro and SHO Police Station Jahangirpuri. The case diary shall be produced in relation to the said incident on the next date,” the Bench ordered while fixing the matter for Thursday.
The court directed that the matter be listed before the court of Acting Chief Justice for being assigned to an appropriate Bench. The news report about the missing girl said her mother had alerted the Metro Police after Sunita failed to deboard with her. She was assured that all station staff have been alerted. She was also told to go to the local police station but in vain.
