The Allahabad High Court has transferred the investigation into the disappearance of Sudama Devi to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), after noting that the Uttar Pradesh Police had failed to trace her despite more than two years having passed since a missing person report was lodged.
Background
The petition alleged that Sudama Devi, described as the wife of petitioner no. 2, was in the custody of respondent no. 4, Jameela Khatoon. Earlier proceedings recorded that the parties had an alleged enmity. The State, however, later informed the Court that there was no truth in the allegation that Sudama Devi was in Jameela Khatoon's custody.
The State informed the Court that Sudama Devi had been missing since September 8, 2024, and that a missing person report was registered at Police Station Puranderpur, Maharajganj, on September 9, 2024. Police efforts to locate her had not resulted in her recovery. The record also stated that she was a 42-year-old woman described as being of unsound mind and without a mobile phone, making the tracing process difficult.
Justice Sandeep Jain took note of the continued failure to trace Sudama Devi and the passage of more than two years since the missing person report.
The Court observed,
"In view of the aforesaid facts and circumstances, particularly the failure of the State police authorities to trace the corpus despite the passage of more than two years since the lodging of the missing person report, this Court deems it appropriate to entrust the investigation of the matter to the Central Bureau of Investigation, Ghaziabad."
The Court directed the CBI, Ghaziabad, arrayed as respondent no. 5, to take over the investigation and make all necessary efforts to trace and produce Sudama Devi before the Court on December 1, 2026.
The State authorities were directed to provide the CBI with all necessary cooperation, records, evidence and other material collected during the earlier investigation. If Sudama Devi is not traced by the next hearing, the CBI Investigating Officer must file a personal affidavit explaining the steps taken and efforts made.
Case Details
Case Title: Sudama Devi (Corpus) and Another v. State of U.P. and 3 Others
Case Number: Habeas Corpus Writ Petition No. 426 of 2026
Judge: Justice Sandeep Jain
Decision Date: September 29, 2026
