Court directs police to investigate missing person case per guidelines and produce before Magistrate.

BEFORE THE MADURAI BENCH OF MADRAS HIGH COURT DATED: 28.04.2026 CORAM THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE N. ANAND VENKATESH AND THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE K.K.RAMAKRISHNAN H.C.P.(MD)No.559 of 2026 Lakshmanan .. Petitioner /father of the detenue Vs.

1.The State of Tamil Nadu, represented by its The Superintendent of Police, Madurai District, Madurai.

2.State of Tamil Nadu, represented by its the Inspector of Police, Austinpatti Police Station, Madurai District. .. Respondents Prayer :Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India to issue a writ of Habeas Corpus directing the second respondent to produce the body or person of the petitioner's daughter, namely, Dhanyalakshmi, w/o.

Nagarathinam, aged about 19 years before this Court and set her at liberty.

For Petitioner : Mr.K.Sathish Kumar For Respondents : Mr.E.Antony Sahaya Prabahar, Additional Public Prosecutor

ORDER

(Order of the Court was made by N. ANAND VENKATESH,J.)

This petition has been filed for the issue of writ of Habeas Corpus directing the second respondent to produce the body or person of the petitioner's daughter and to set her at liberty.

2. Heard the learned counsel on either side.

3. The case of the petitioner is that his daughter was married to one Nagarathinam and they were blessed with a male child. Due to some matrimonial dispute, the petitioner's daughter came to her parents' house on 12.04.2026. All of a sudden, from 14.04.2026, the girl went missing. In spite of best efforts, her whereabouts were not able to be ascertained. Hence, a complaint was given before the second respondent, based on which, a woman missing FIR has been registered in Crime No.92 of 2026.

Since no effective steps were taken to ascertain the whereabouts of the detenue, the present Habeas Corpus Petition has been filed.

4. The learned Additional Public Prosecutor on instructions submitted that the detenue had some matrimonial dispute and all of a sudden, she went missing from her parents' house from 14.04.2026. He further submitted that effective steps have been taken by the second respondent to find the whereabouts of the detenue.

5. Taking into consideration the facts and circumstances of the case and the nature of grievance expressed by the petitioner, there shall be a direction to the second respondent to proceed further with the investigation in Crime No.92 of 2026 in line with the guidelines given by this Court in the case of K. Sukumari Vs. The Superintendent of Police, Virudhunagar District, Virudhunagar, reported in 2018(2) -L.W. (Crl) -636 and find the whereabouts of the detenue and produce her before the learned Judicial Magistrate, Thirumangalam. On the date of such production, the petitioner shall be put on notice. The learned Judicial Magistrate shall record the statement of the detenue and proceed further in accordance with law.

6. This Habeas Corpus Petition is disposed of in the above terms.