Special cell to be set up to trace missing persons
By Mihir Tanksale, TNN | Nov 30, 2012, 04.11 AM ISTPUNE: Taking serious note of the rise in number of missing persons complaints in the state, director general of police (DGP) Sanjeev Dayal has issued orders that special cells be created at all crime branches in the state to investigate these cases on a priority basis.
Accordingly, the Pune police have started a special cell in coordination with the social security cell of the crime branch. Senior police inspector Bhanupratap Barge, in charge of the social security cell, has been given charge of this special cell as well.
A senior police officer from the Pune crime branch told TOI that the DGP had stated that the response of the police to missing persons complaints was a matter of concern. There are also allegations saying the police do not attach merit to solving cases related to missing persons, the DGP's order said.
As per the orders issued by Dayal, this special cell has to collect and collate all data of missing persons in its jurisdiction. "The cell will analyse the data and investigate these complaints," the officer said.
He added that Dayal had ordered the police to conduct special drives to search for missing persons. "He asked that a separate register be maintained to record cases of missing persons and how many of them had been traced by the police," the police officer said.
The order specifically mentions that complaints related to missing persons below the age of 12 years should be investigated by an official of the level of police sub-inspector. "If there are more such cases in the jurisdiction of an officer, then an assistant inspector or officer of the level of an inspector should investigate those cases," the order says.
The police officer said that the formation of the cell would help curb human trafficking of children in the state.
Dayal has also asked officials to discuss the issue of missing persons during regular crime meetings. "He has asked officials to communicate the data of missing children regularly to the National Centre of Missing Children," the officer said. When contacted, inspector Bhanupratap Barge confirmed that the missing persons cell had indeed been formed.
He said that during 2012, about 3,193 men, women and children were reported missing from the city. "Of them, only 1,757 were traced," Barge said. "The special cell for missing persons have started working on these complaints," he added.