RANCHI, July 2 -- The Jharkhand High Court on Thursday took a major step in the long-pending case of a minor girl from Bokaro district for last six years.

A division bench comprising Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad and Justice Sanjay Prasad officially impleaded the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as a respondent, directing the central agency to actively participate in the ongoing probe, an advocate close to the matter informed Hindustan Times.

"The order was passed during the hearing of a habeas corpus petition by the minor's mother, Usha Jha. The court found it necessary to involve central authorities to break the deadlock. The HC has scheduled the next hearing for July 27 by which time the joint investigative teams are expected to ...