Kerala High Court Impleads Anti-Human Trafficking Unit, Social Justice Dept To Trace Out Missing Kuwaiti Resident

The Kerala High Court on Tuesday (November 11) impleaded the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit and the Social Justice Department of the Kerala Government in the habeas corpus plea filed by Santon Lama to trace out his father, Suraj Lama – stated to be missing since October 5 since his arrival in Kochi from Kuwait.The Division Bench comprising Justice Devan Ramachandran and Justice M.B. Snehalatha suo motu implead the parties after the petitioner's counsel submitted that she had filed an impleading petition yesterday, but the same had not reached the bench.After impleading the additional respondents, the Court directed:“The learned Government Pleader will obtain specific instructions from the afore two additional respondents and we direct the 2nd respondent to cause a complete inquiry into every destitute home/shelter home/homes for senior citizens in the state of Kerala and give us a report on the same by the next posting date.”In the affidavit filed by the petitioner, he expressed his apprehension that there is a possibility that his father may have been trafficked, misled, or taken to another State. He had also stated that there is a chance that the missing person could have been admitted or accommodated in any destitute home or shelter home in Kerala. He, thus, prayed that the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit and the Social Justice department be impleaded in the plea. He also prayed that the Social Justice department be directed to conduct a comprehensive enquiry through all shelter homes, care institutions and destitutes homes functioning in the State.“Please make a complete search of every shelter home, every protection home, everything in Kerala, every one of them. Email, message to all superintendents with photograph. Make sure it is searched. We want it done in a week,” the Court orally added.The Court, however, also mentioned that there is a possibility that the missing man might have been assisted by a Good Samaritan to take a train to his hometown and it was not possible to figure out where exactly he had reached. It then orally said that searches would soon have to be extended beyond the State.During the course of the proceedings today, the petitioner's counsel had told the Court that the police force started earnestly looking into the missing case only after the Court intervened. She further submitted that this was not expected by a common man.The Court then orally said that the police force is under tremendous pressure. However, it opined, the first priority is to find the missing person and that it would later go into a 'post mortem' of the system. It orally assured:“We will get this man. Don't worry, we will get him. We will get any agency in India to also involve. We will do it…I have no doubt that our police force is the finest in the country. it can easily become one of the finest in the world also. It is already the finest in the country…We have the best team now. We will trace him out. Then we will go for the post mortem later.”The case is posted next Monday (November17).Case No: WP(Crl.) No. 1421 of 2025Case Title: Santon Lama v. State of Kerala and Ors.Counsel for the petitioner: A. Parvathi Menon Click Here To Read/ Download Interim Order

Kerala High Court Impleads Anti-Human Trafficking Unit, Social Justice Dept To Trace Out Missing Kuwaiti Resident

K. Salma Jennath

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