WCD minister meets NCPCR official over children missing from Ranchi

New Delhi, Jan 13 (PTI) The Union Minister for Women and Child Development Annapurna Devi held a meeting with the member secretary of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights regarding the two missing children from Mausibari, Ranchi, a statement said on Tuesday.

The minister earlier visited the residence of the missing children and met their parents, assuring them of all possible assistance from the government.

The Women and Child Development Ministry said in a statement that the minister also spoke with Jharkhand DGP Tadasha Mishra over the phone, directing her to take prompt and effective action for the immediate recovery of the missing children.

Following these developments, National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has taken suo motu cognisance of the case, the statement said.

The Commission has issued a notice to the DGP, seeking prompt recovery of the children and submission of an action-taken report (ATR) within five days of receipt of the notice.

NCPCR Member Secretary Sanjeev Sharma also spoke with Ranchi SSP Rakesh Ranjan to inquire about the current status of the investigation. He urged the SSP to expedite the investigation and ensure the earliest possible recovery of the children.

"The Ministry of Women and Child Development and NCPCR are closely monitoring the case and are coordinating with the state authorities to ensure swift action and the safety of the children," the statement added.

Jharkhand Police on Monday said it has alerted around 17,000 police stations across the country to trace two missing siblings from Ranchi and announced a reward of Rs 2 lakh for information about them.

The two kids, Ansh Kumar (5) and Anshika Kumari (4), went missing on January 2 after they had gone to a grocery store. PTI AO PRK PRK