LUCKNOW, June 11 -- Taking serious note of the rising number of missing minor girls in the state capital, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court on Wednesday expressed concern over police functioning and directed senior officers to ensure effective monitoring of such cases.

The court directed the judicial officers concerned to monitor such investigations in which the FIR is submitted before the court concerned after its registration, as per the Police Regulations.

The court also sought a progress report from Lucknow commissioner of police (CP) Amrendra Sengar regarding 34 cases of untraced girls reported from city police stations at the next hearing on July 3.

Justice Praveen Kumar Giri passed the order on June 10 in response to...