Gumla Girl Missing Since 2018: High Court Seeks Answers

A girl who went missing from Gumla district in 2018 is still untraced, and the Jharkhand High Court has now sharply criticised the police and the state government over the alleged lapses in the investigation.

During a hearing presided over by Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad, the bench questioned why former Superintendents of Police and investigators posted in Gumla from 2018 to 2022 were given a clean chit. The court pointed out that the investigation's periodic report had not reached the District Legal Services Authority on time.

The High Court has directed the Home Department to file a fresh affidavit on the issue.

The state's affidavit accepted that the periodic report was sent to the Gumla DLSA very late, on October 23, 2026. The government also sought an unconditional apology from the court for the delay.

The petitioner's lawyer alleged that the government was trying to save its former officers and had not placed accurate facts before the court.

The main accused, Bhukhli Lakra, was arrested on June 6, 2026. He was taken for a suspect detection test in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, where he was found suspicious. However, when police applied for custody several days after the arrest, the court raised questions and expressed displeasure over the slow pace of the investigation.

The bench has also called for a response from the Gumla Superintendent of Police, asking why the probe was delayed and what action has been taken against officials responsible.

The case began with a habeas corpus petition filed by the girl's mother, Chandramuni Uraon. The girl was six years old when she went missing. The court had earlier voiced dissatisfaction with the police probe and warned of handing the case over to the CBI if the girl was not traced.