Father of 17-year-old missing since January files habeas corpus

Mumbai: In a case involving a 17-year-old girl having gone missing since January 12 this year, her father Farukh Dukka (47) has filed a writ petition (habeas corpus) in high court alleging that Amboli police failed to trace the minor and she could have been pushed into the flesh trade.

Shifa Farukh Dukka left home the morning of January 12, apparently with one Rakesh Sunar (21), and never returned. Unable to find her, her father registered a FIR with Amboli police station. As the police could not locate Shifa, Farukh on February 27 filed a writ petition in high court.

Farukh, a driver by profession, said, “My daughter is a minor and ran away with Sunar whom we don’t know. He is a vagabond and the police is clueless. I am leaving no stone unturned to find her. Since the police has failed to find my girl, I have knocked on the doors of the high court in frustration. There too, it is a game of dates being played.”

“I am worried that Shifa might have been pushed into the flesh trade. I got a missed call on February 24 where I sensed she was scared and did not speak to me. I heard a woman use shabby words,” he added.

Senior police inspector Bharat Sheka Gaikwad said, “We haven’t come across any clues till now but we are trying our level best.” While advocate Fakruddin Khan who filed the habeas corpus said, “It is a case of the police having miserably failed to nab the accused who is still at large.”