Delhi HC orders protection of complainants' personal information in missing persons cases

New Delhi, March 26 (IANS) The Delhi High Court has directed the Delhi Police to safeguard the vital personal information of complainants in missing persons cases.

A division bench of Justices Suresh Kumar Kait and Manoj Jain directed the Commissioner of Delhi Police to take all necessary steps to ensure that in all such cases, the "vital personal information of complainant is not put in public domain and only the name and contact details of SHO or IO of the case are reflected on ZIPNET".

The Zonal Integrated Police Network (ZIPNet)’s objective is to share crime and criminal information in real-time.

The court's directive came in response to a habeas corpus petition filed by a mother seeking the production of her minor son, who had gone missing.

The petitioner's father-in-law had received WhatsApp messages from unknown numbers demanding money in exchange for information about the missing child, raising concerns about potential extortion attempts.

Despite extensive efforts by the Delhi Police, including searches on ZIPNET, social media groups, and nationwide alerts, the whereabouts of the missing child remained unknown.

As police informed the court that ZIPNet, which allows public access to complainants' contact details, had become a target for cybercriminals who exploited this information to extort money, the court directed it to restrict access to complainants' personal information, ensuring that only the contact details of the SHO or IO are visible to the public.

The court adjourned the case to April 10, directing the Delhi Police to take necessary steps to locate the missing son while also implementing measures to protect the privacy and safety of complainants in similar cases.

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