2026:MHC:3012 HCP No. 731 of 2026 __________ IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS DATED: 21-07-2026 CORAM THE HON'BLE DR.JUSTICE ANITA SUMANTH AND THE HON'BLE MR.JUSTICE SUNDER MOHAN HCP No. 731 of 2026 Ranjitham W/o.S.Balan, No.23, Kumaran Koil North Street, Kallidaikurichi, Tirunelveli - 627416. ..Petitioner(s) Vs 1. Union Of India, Rep by Secretary to Ministry of Railways, New Delhi. 2. The Inspector General (Cum) Chief Security Commissioner, Railways Protection Force, Eastern Railways, 14, Strand Road, New Koilaghat Building (8th Floor), Eastern Railways, Kolkata - 7000001. 3. The Director General of Police, Bhabani Bhawan, 31, Belvedere Road, Alipore, Kolkata - 700027. 4. The Director General of Police (DGP), Odisha, Buxibazar, Cuttack - 753 001. 5. The Inspector of Police, GRP Bhadrakh Police Station, Bhadrak Railway Station, Charampa Road, Railway Housing, Bhadrak - 756101, Odisha. 6. The Inspector of Police, GRP Cuttack Police Station, Cuttack District, Odisha (Orissa), (on point of Jurisdiction). https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis 2026:MHC:3012 HCP No. 731 of 2026 __________ 7. The Inspector of Police, Government Railway Police (GRP)_Chennai Central, TamilNadu. 8. Sri Murugan Travels Rep by its Tour Manager Thiru.Paranjothi, No.10, Vadakkuavani Moola Veedhi, Madurai - 625 001. ..Respondent(s) Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India praying to issue a Writ of Habeas Corpus or any other appropriate direction in the form of Writ directing the 4th respondent to trace the missing traveller by name Thiru.S.Balan Son of A.Sankaran aged 70 residing at No.23, Kumaran Koil North Street, Kallidaikurichi, Tirunelveli-627 416 having reserved Ticket from Howrah JN (HWH) to MGR Chennai Central Railway Station (MAS) in PNR No.6464677990, seat in CNF/M1/34/MB and boarded from Kolkata Howrah Railway Station in West Bengal in Chennai Mail No.12839 PNR No.6464677990 on 13.03.2026 23.45 hrs and get down in Bhadrakh Railway Station for refreshment and mistakenly boarded into Bagha Jatin Express No.18044 at 4.18 hrs on 14.03.2026 from Bhadrakh Railway Station heading towards Howrah Railway Station and produce him before this Court and set him at liberty. For Petitioner(s): Mr.J.R.K.Bhavanantham For Respondent(s): M/s.K.Ramanamoorthy, Senior Panel Counsel For R1, R2 & R7 Mr.C.R. Malarvannan, Counsel For Government Of Tamil Nadu (Criminal Side) For R3 To 6 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis 2026:MHC:3012 HCP No. 731 of 2026 __________ Order (Order of the Court was made by Dr.Anita Sumanth J.) Read this order in continuation of and in conjunction with earlier orders. 2. R5 and R6 are present online. 3. We are given to understand that there are two units within the Railway Police. One is Railway Police Force (RPF) which attends to the security of the passengers and other persons in the train and secondly, the Government Railway Police (GRP), which is an investigating agency to investigate into the crime / offences that takes place within network of railways, across the country. 4. R6 would submit that they have investigated upto Howrah, which is where their jurisdictions ends and they have not met with any success thus far. He also suggests that officers from Assam may be included in the investigation team as there is a possibility that the detenu may have taken a train to Assam. 5. Hence to continue the investigation and to expand the scope of the same, we would direct a Special Team to be formulated comprising : (i) Tr.Suryanarayan Das, Deputy Superintendent of Police, (SDRPO Cuttack Zone), (ii) Tr. Chittaranjan Das, Sub Inspector of Police, (Bhadrak GRPS, Odisha), (iii) Tr. Priyabrata Malik, Assistant Sub Inspector of Police (Baleswar GRPS, Odisha), (iv) Tr. Sumanta Kumar Muduli, Constable-350 (GRPS Bhadrak, Odisha), (v) Tr.Manikandan, Grade I-311, (Chennai GRPS, Chennai Central RPS) and (vi) Tr.Elumalai, PC – 172 (Chennai GRPS, Chennai Central https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis 2026:MHC:3012 HCP No. 731 of 2026 __________ RPS). The team is at liberty to co-opt any officer from the Government Railway Police in Assam or other States should it be necessary. 6. Since investigation is now handed over to the Special Team, we do not see the necessity to keep this habeas corpus petition pending any longer and we close the same. 7. A status report will be filed by the Special Team to be circulated in Chambers within a month from today assuming that the detenu is not found in the meanwhile. (A.S.M.,J.) (S.M.,J.) 21-07-2026 Index: Yes/No Speaking order Neutral Citation: Yes SSM To 1. The Secretary to Ministry of Railways, New Delhi. 2. The Inspector General (Cum) Chief Security Commissioner, Railways Protection Force, Eastern Railways, 14, Strand Road, New Koilaghat Building (8th Floor), Eastern Railways, Kolkata – 7000001. 3. The Director General of Police, Bhabani Bhawan, 31, Belvedere Road, Alipore, Kolkata - 700027. 4. The Director General of Police (DGP), Odisha, Buxibazar, Cuttack - 753 001. 5. The Inspector of Police, https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis 2026:MHC:3012 HCP No. 731 of 2026 __________ GRP Bhadrakh Police Station, Bhadrak Railway Station, Charampa Road, Railway Housing, Bhadrak - 756101, Odisha. 6. The Inspector of Police, GRP Cuttack Police Station, Cuttack District, Odisha (Orissa), (on point of Jurisdiction). 7. The Inspector of Police, Government Railway Police (GRP)_Chennai Central, TamilNadu. 8. The Public Prosecutor, High Court, Madras. https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis 2026:MHC:3012 HCP No. 731 of 2026 __________ DR.ANITA SUMANTH J. AND SUNDER MOHAN J. SSM HCP No. 731 of 2026 21-07-2026 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis