SC: Register FIR for missing persons immediately, irrespective of age

When someone goes missing, the police should start looking for them right away.

The Supreme Court of India is the country's highest court, and its rules must be followed by all police.

The court said police must register an FIR, an official report that starts an investigation, as soon as they hear that anyone is missing.

Some state governments thought this rule was only for children, but the Supreme Court said no — it applies to every person, no matter their age or gender.

The court was unhappy that some states did not follow its order and called their excuse a 'bogey,' which means a made-up excuse.

Those states must now send their top officials to court to explain themselves, or they could be punished.

The court also wants one big computer network connecting all police stations so they can work together to find missing children and stop traffickers, people who take others and sell them.

There are still about 47,000 children in India who are reported missing and have not been found.

The court also said that when a missing person is found, police should help them get an Aadhaar card, an official identity card, to keep them safer.