Patna High Court Orders CBI Probe into Missing Youth, Cites Police Inaction
The Patna High Court has transferred the investigation into the disappearance of a young man to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), expressing serious concern over the lack of urgency shown by the state police. The court's decision came on a habeas corpus petition filed by the missing man's father, who alleged that local police officials were not conducting a fair inquiry.
The case pertains to Sanoj Kumar, a construction worker from Bhojpur district, who went missing on August 13, 2025. According to the petition, Kumar called his younger brother that evening at around 6:35 p.m. and said he had been detained by police on suspicion of consuming liquor near Kali Mandir at Dharahara Musahar Toli. In a subsequent call, he said the police were beating him severely. The phone was then switched off, and all attempts to reach him failed.
The family approached the Bihiya and Jagdishpur police stations. They were told that several people had been detained and later released after questioning, but no satisfactory information was provided about Sanoj Kumar. On August 14, 2025, his father, Gauri Shankar Ram, lodged a formal complaint with the Bihiya police station to trace his son.
When no progress was made, Ram moved the High Court on May 17, 2026, seeking a writ of habeas corpus and demanding a CBI inquiry. The court, comprising Justice Rajeev Ranjan Prasad and Justice Alok Kumar Sinha, heard the matter and delivered its order on August 7, 2026.
In its order, the court stated that there was no doubt that the state investigating agency had failed to act with urgency despite an FIR being lodged. The judges observed that the credibility of the state agency was at stake. They noted that since two of the accused were Assistant Sub-Inspectors (ASIs) posted in the same area, they were in a position to influence the investigation and may have compromised it.
The court agreed with the petitioner's counsel that the involvement of excise police officials had led to bias in the investigation. It said the case fell into the category of rare and exceptional instances where a lack of confidence in the state agency was justified by tangible reasons.
The order further noted that the petitioner apprehends that his son may have been killed and his body disposed of. Given the gravity of the allegations and the time elapsed since the disappearance, the court directed the CBI to take over the investigation with utmost urgency.
The court also took into account the fact that the petitioner was present in court and had requested an independent inquiry. The case has now been handed over to the CBI, which has been asked to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into the circumstances surrounding Sanoj Kumar's disappearance.
The High Court's intervention underscores the importance of judicial oversight in cases where the police may not act independently. It serves as a reminder that the right to a fair investigation is fundamental to the delivery of justice.
