BANGALORE: The Karnataka High Court on Friday expressed its displeasure over the tardy pace of investigation by the police in tracing missing minor girls and in attending to habeas corpus petitions. It said senior officers should monitor investigations by their subordinates in such cases daily. The court said: "It is needless to point out that the abduction of anyone and the kidnap of minors is a serious offence. It is the duty of the police to deal with such incidents in a responsible manner."

The court was dealing with an interlocutory application (IA) by an investigation officer (IO) of the Hubli court seeking to recall Thursday's order directing the police department to suspend him for failing to deal with a case of kidnap of a minor girl from Hubli in a proper manner.

Not intentional

The investigation officer, in his application, said his absence from the court when it was dealing with a habeas corpus petition was not intentional and that he had gone out of the court premises to get an affidavit typed. He had to go to the City Civil Court premises as there was a strike by State Government employees and he could not get the document typed anywhere else.

Moreover, he was "caught" in a traffic jam on his way to the High Court.

A Division Bench comprising Justice P. Vishwanath Shetty and Justice N. Kumar accepted the officer's apology and recalled the earlier order directing his suspension.

The Bench said although a case of kidnap was registered in Hubli in September 2005, it was only on January 3, 2006 that the officer had taken over the investigation of the case.

It said this was the second incident in which the police had been lax while tracing minor girls. It said proper investigation can be ensured only if the senior officials monitored them on a day-to-day basis.

Directions

The Bench hoped that Director-General and Inspector-General of Police, the Home Department, the Commissioners of Police and Superintendents of Police will keep in mind the directions and observations of the court and give instructions to junior officials.

Saying that it was not satisfied with the nature of the investigation in the Hubli case, the Bench directed the Commissioner of Police, HubIi-Dharwad, to conduct an inquiry into the lapses of investigation, if any, and report back to the court.

The Bench then adjourned further hearing on the matter.

Directive to Government

The Karnataka High Court on Friday asked the State Government to take steps to ensure adequate supply of medicines to the mentally challenged.

Justice S.R. Bannurmath passed the order on public interest litigation (PIL) by the Karnataka State Legal Services Authority on the treatment and management of mentally challenged, including those in jails. Mr. Justice Bannurmath said the State had filed an action taken report but the court was of the view that there is a need to increase the pace of providing infrastructure to the mentally challenged, prisons housing them and hospitals dealing with such patients.

Infrastructure

He hoped that the work on providing infrastructure will be implemented expeditiously. He ordered issue of notices to the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) and the Medical Council of India (MCI) after he was told that their presence was necessary to ensure that steps were taken expeditiously.

He said instead of administering tablets to people suffering from schizophrenia, the State can take steps to ensure that injunctions were given to them.

On the treatment of the mentally challenged at dargas, Mr. Justice Bannurmath said there is no infrastructure and ordered the issue of notices to the Wakfs Board.

He said the dargas in Chintamani and Kolar lacked facilities.

He asked the State to furnish a report on the medicines needed to treat the mentally challenged and the infrastructure available and the facilities needed to be added, and adjourned the case.

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