KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Tuesday directed the home secretary and inspector general of police to digitally update the record of unclaimed bodies at every police station and also centralise it at the police headquarters.

The SHC noted that such measures would enable the police officials and citizens to easily verify their loved ones who have been missing for years.

A two-judge bench comprising Justice Salahuddin Panhwar and Justice Adnan-ul-Karim Memon also observed that in a number of cases the petitioners submitted that the missing persons have been picked up by the police/ agencies, whereas the opinion of joint investigation team was that “missing person has gone on his own”.

It was hearing a petition filed in 2019 seeking whereabouts of a person who was said to be gone missing within the limits of Shah Latif Town police station.

The bench in its order said that normally, one would not even report regarding missing a person nor would complain against the police officials/ agencies unless there was substance or least belief.

In any event, it is domain of the police to investigate/ inquire into any such complaint and there are also series of cases in which unidentified dead bodies have been found on different places, it added.

While referring to a judgement of SHC handed down in 2018, the bench said that it had directed the police to avail the available modern devices in respect of unknown bodies and missing persons and besides maintaining the register in the manner as prescribed in police rules at the police station, set up a website specifically designed for such purpose i.e. identify unknown dead body and locating a missing person.

“Accordingly, Home Secretary Sindh as well as I.G.P Sindh shall ensure compliance of earlier judgement by updating the record of missing /unidentified dead bodies on every police station on digital mode and such record shall also be centralized at police headquarter enabling the police officials and citizens to easily verify their nearer and dearer, who are still missing since years,” it added.

While disposing of the petition, the bench said that admittedly, there was a FIR lodged at Shah Latif Town police station in 2019 about the missing person in question and the investigation was underway.

It also directed the investigating officer to submit the investigation report under Section 173 Cr PC before the magistrate concerned in view of the Nasrullah case (PLD 2016 Sindh 238) and the magistrate must list the case on fortnightly basis, supervise the investigation and should ensure recovery of the abductee/missing person.

Published in Dawn, November 20th, 2024