After the Punjab and Haryana high court has taken suo motu cognisance of reports concerning missing girls in Ludhiana and sought a detailed report from deputy commissioner Himanshu Jain regarding the allegations highlighted in media reports and the action taken by the administration, the DC assured the court that a free and fair investigation is being carried out and that he is personally monitoring developments related to the case.Deputy commissioner Himanshu Jain (HT File)During proceedings on July 8, a Division Bench directed the Punjab government to submit an affidavit from the Ludhiana deputy commissioner addressing the concerns raised in the newspaper reports and outlining the steps taken in the matter. The case is scheduled to come up for hearing on Thursday.The high court’s intervention follows growing concern over a series of missing girls cases reported across Ludhiana. Earlier, on June 5, the Punjab State Commission for Women had also taken cognisance of media reports indicating that nine girls had gone missing within a span of 48 hours in the city.Commission chairperson Raj Lalli Gill had issued a notice to Ludhiana commissioner of police Swapan Sharma, seeking a comprehensive investigation report and expressing concern over women’s safety and public security. The commission exercised its powers under Section 12 of the Punjab State Women Commission Act, 2001, which allows it to intervene in matters involving the rights and dignity of women.The issue gained further attention amid several missing-person cases involving young girls and minors in Ludhiana and adjoining areas. In neighbouring Khanna district, police traced and rescued four missing girls, including three minor sisters, who had travelled to Ambala and were located through technical surveillance.Responding to public concerns, commissioner of police Swapan Sharma had earlier stated that 11 FIRs involving 13 missing girls had been registered across various police stations in Ludhiana. According to investigations conducted so far, there was no evidence of kidnapping, abduction or the involvement of any organised criminal network.Police inquiries indicated that the girls had left their homes voluntarily due to personal or family-related reasons. Sharma said four girls had already been traced and reunited with their families, including three sisters who were recovered from their native village in Uttar Pradesh.He added that dedicated police teams continue to work on the remaining cases through technical surveillance, field investigations and coordination with other agencies. While no organised racket has been detected so far, police said all possible angles remain under examination.