Patna, Aug. 2: The high court has asked the director-general of police (DGP) to immediately constitute a special cell to deal with kidnapping cases at the central level.

“We are of the opinion that the DGP of Bihar should immediately consider constituting a special cell where cases of kidnapping should be reported in which abducted people are traceless for a considerable period of time so that effective steps are taken at a central level,” a division bench comprising justices Navaniti Prasad Singh and Ashwani Kumar Singh said in a recent order.

The court passed the direction on a habeas corpus petition filed by one Anil Kumar, the father of a minor girl, who was allegedly kidnapped more than a year ago.

Anil approached the high court in July last year seeking direction to the authorities concerned to produce his minor daughter before the court.

Anil had lodged an FIR against a boy but being a minor, he has been remanded to After Care Home at Gaighat, Patna.

Despite repeated court orders over the past year, the police have not been able to trace the victim.

The station house officer, the deputy superintendent of police, the superintendent of police and the senior superintendent of police concerned appeared in the case, assuring the court that they were making all efforts to trace the girl.

Reminding the state of its duty that it can’t leave its job of searching abducted or traceless persons to the near and dear ones to make an effort on their own, the bench headed by Justice Navaniti Prasad Singh said: “In a welfare state like ours, the same cannot be permitted. This needs central monitoring from time to time so that abducted or kidnapped persons do not become lost and forgotten issues.”

The court, while disposing of the petition, said: “Effective monitoring at the highest level at regular intervals would help in recovering the victims, who may be taken across districts or states.”

There has been a sudden spurt in the crime graph of the state, particularly of kidnappings and murders, sending alarm bells ringing at the state police headquarters.

Concerned over the increase in the crime graph, chief minister Nitish Kumar held a high-level review meeting of law and order and directed the DGP to carry out monitoring at every police station so that action could be taken against erring police officials.

A spate of recent murders, kidnapping for ransom and abductions, particularly that of school-going children and minors, have started reminding the people of a goonda raj (reign of dons), which was notorious for a flourishing kidnapping industry before Nitish came to power in November 2005.

The increase in kidnappings, particularly of schoolchildren, in different parts of the state has sent shockwaves among residents who apprehend that professional kidnappers have made a comeback.