LUCKNOW — The Supreme Court has taken a strict view of prolonged procedural lapses in the investigation and trial concerning the 2017 kidnapping of Sachin Maurya, who was 14 years old when he went missing and remains untraced after nine years. Directing the Uttar Pradesh government to initiate departmental proceedings within two weeks against police superintendents who served in Mau district, the top court voiced sharp dissatisfaction over the administrative handling of the case. The state’s Chief Secretary has been instructed to file a personal affidavit detailing the administrative measures initiated so far alongside proposed steps to ensure compliance, with the next court hearing scheduled for November 16, 2026.
Slow Trial Progress and Extended Disappearance Draw Judicial Scrutiny
Sachin Maurya was reported kidnapped in 2017, triggering police inquiries that failed to locate him or clarify his fate over the subsequent nine years. Although investigators filed a formal chargesheet in 2023 leading to charges being framed against six accused individuals, the ensuing court trial has moved at an exceptionally slow pace. Records indicate that only two out of 54 listed prosecution witnesses have been examined across a period of three and a half years. The extended delay in recording depositions, paired with the complete absence of information regarding the minor’s whereabouts, has prolonged the anguish of his family while drawing sharp rebuke from the bench regarding administrative accountability.
Superintendents Face Departmental Inquiry Over Administrative Lapses
The court’s scrutiny centers on the conduct and operational steps taken by police chiefs posted in Mau district, particularly those serving from 2023 onward. Media reports indicate that the departmental inquiry involves former Mau police superintendents Avinash Pandey, Ilamaran, and Kamlesh Bahadur, who held office at different periods during the investigation. The incumbent Superintendent of Police, Kamlesh Bahadur, appeared before the court during the proceedings. While the inquiry will formalize the individual responsibilities and establish whether lapses occurred, the initiation of the probe does not by itself establish guilt or misconduct against any specific officer.
Top Court Demands Personal Affidavit From Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary
Emphasizing the human dimension of the case, the court observed during the proceedings that the matter was not merely an administrative file but concerned the fate of a missing child. The judicial order places the burden directly on the state administration to demonstrate concrete progress rather than procedural formalities. The Chief Secretary’s impending personal affidavit must clarify the formal status of the departmental action, outline clear timelines for further measures, and explain steps taken to accelerate the search for the victim. The upcoming proceedings on November 16 are expected to assess both the state’s compliance with disciplinary directions and renewed operational efforts to trace Sachin Maurya.
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