- (1.) WE have heard Shri Sukhendu Pal Singh, learned Counsel for the petitioner, Shri A. K. Sand, learned Additional Government Advocate, Shri K. C. Sinha, learned Assistant Solicitor General of India and Shri D. K. Singh, Joint Registrar (Inspection), High Court, Allahabad.
(2.) AN affidavit, dated 9-5-2007 sworn by Dr. ANil Mishra, Deputy Superintendent of Police (Legal Cell), D. G. P. Headquarters, Lucknow, on behalf of the State of U. P. , an affidavit dated 9-5- 2007 sworn by Shri Shyam Vidyarthi, Senior Director, Doordarshan Kendra, Allahabad on behalf of Director Prasar Bharti, New Delhi and a compliance report by the Registry have been produced before us today. It is gratifying to note that in pursuance of our order dated 22-3-2007 and earlier orders, out of 719 children, who were reported missing in the year 2006, 183 children have been traced out within a period of about three months between the first week of January, 2007 and 3-4-2007. Efforts are being made for locating the remaining 536 missing children, who were reported missing in the year 2006. So far as the children who are missing for the earlier five years are concerned, it is reported that in the previous five years there are 1971 children missing, out of whom 1440 were male and 531 are female, who are missing from the period 2002-2006. Out of the 1971 children missing for five years 462 children have been traced/recovered in the period of 1st week of January till 3-4-2007, and 1509 children still remain to be found/recovered. Therefore as a result of this Court's orders in a period of a little over 3 months, as many as 645 children have been traced out and united with their parents.
(3.) FURTHER gender and age-wise disaggregated breakup shows that the majority of children who are still traceless belong to higher age groups who sometimes run away because of the stress of studies or examinations and parental criticism or in connection with romantic liaisons. Thus the figures mentioned in the State's affidavit reveal that 38 male children up to the age of 5 years, 152 male children up to the age of 10 years and 913 male children up to the age of 18 years and 31 female children up to the age of 5 years, 43 female children up to the age of 10 years and 332 female children up to the age of 18 years are yet to be traced out. In pursuance of the directions in our order dated 22-3-2007 to furnish better details with regard to directions 1 to 5 of the D. G. P. 's circular dated 10-1-2007, better districtwise details have now been provided. Thus, separate registers of missing persons and better cells for monitoring the matter of missing children have been constituted in which the SSP/sp in-charge of the districts have been made nodal officers. They are to maintain records and to make detailed enquiries about all missing children. Also this Court was interested in being acquainted with the difficulties faced by the different districts in implementing the orders of this Court and the DGP's circular dated 10-1-2007 pursuant thereof. The Dy. S. P. 's affidavit snows that whereas the majority of the districts have stated that there are no difficulties in implementing these directions, however some districts, such as Gautam Budh Nagar, Baghpat, Muzaffarnagar, Etawah, Agra, Mathura, Hathras, Jaunpur, Ambedkar Nagar the nodal officers of the districts have pointed out the difficulties. We do wonder whether the nodal officers of districts which report no difficulty in implementing the Court's orders are seriously concerned about tracking the missing children, or have reported to paper compliance of our orders and have given a blanket reply of "no difficulty" only to avoid censure by this Court.;