Allahabad High Court Grants One-Month Extension to Prayagraj Police in Missing Lawyer Case
Rajesh Pandey
The Allahabad High Court has granted the Prayagraj police an additional month to trace missing high court lawyer Jai Shankar Upadhyay, whose whereabouts have remained unknown for the past three years.
The direction came during the hearing of a habeas corpus petition filed by Abhaykant Upadhyay, brother of the missing lawyer.
A division bench comprising Justice Salil Kumar Rai and Justice Zafeer Ahmed expressed concern over the prolonged inaction, observing: The case was registered in 2022, and it has been three years, yet the corpus has not been traced.”
Fixing October 27, 2025, as the next date of hearing, the bench directed that the Additional Government Advocate must submit a progress report in the investigation on that date.
In a significant move, the court also ordered that senior police officials directly supervising the case—including the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime), Commissionerate Prayagraj, the Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime), Prayagraj, and the Assistant Commissioner of Police (Crime), Prayagraj—be personally present in court at the next hearing.
Background of the Case
Advocate Jai Shankar Upadhyay, a resident of Ponghat Ka Pul, Dhoomanganj (Prayagraj), went missing on September 3, 2022. Initially, a missing person complaint was lodged.
Later, the police registered Case Crime No. 360 of 2022 under Section 365 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for kidnapping and began an investigation. Despite the formation of an investigation team, no breakthrough has been achieved so far.
Courtroom Arguments
During the hearing, Additional Advocate General M.C. Chaturvedi and government advocates Paritosh Malviya and Rishi Chaddha, appearing for the state, informed the court that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted under the leadership of the Assistant Commissioner of Police (Crime). The suspects are being questioned, they added.
The police had also sought permission from the magistrate to conduct a narco-analysis test on some individuals, but the request was not granted.
On the other hand, the petitioner alleged that the police were harassing him in the name of an investigation. The bench clarified that while the police are free to interrogate any person they deem necessary, they must not use coercive or third-degree methods against anyone.
Court’s Warning to Police
Granting the police one final month to show results, the court, in its order dated September 11, made it clear that if the investigation does not yield any outcome within the given time, the bench will be compelled to consider alternative measures.
This case continues to remain one of the most sensitive and long-drawn missing person investigations in Prayagraj, with the family of the missing lawyer still awaiting answers three years after his disappearance.
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