Overview

• Justices JJ Munir and Anil Kumar highlighted that police officers often evade personal responsibility in abduction investigations.
• The court directed the Commissioner of Police, Varanasi, to submit a personal affidavit by June 12 explaining why Nitesh Kumar’s brother, missing since March 31, remains unrecovered.
• An FIR was filed on April 3 after a two-day gap following the initial complaint about the disappearance.
• The bench warned that officers who fail to promptly trace abductees who later suffer fatal outcomes may face responsibility fixed on the jurisdictional police head.
• The ruling reinforces judicial oversight and accountability measures for kidnapping cases across Uttar Pradesh.