India, Sept. 28 -- Taking strong note of the "casual approach" of Uttar Pradesh Police in a criminal case trial, the Supreme Court has directed the state government to initiate departmental proceedings against the superintendents of police who have served from 2023 till date in Mau district. A bench of Justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and R Mahadevan noted that only two out of the 54 prosecution witnesses have been examined in the case lodged in 2017, despite charges being framed against six accused in March 2023.

It noted that the 14-year-old son of the petitioner was kidnapped on September 27, 2017, and till date, neither he nor his remains had been found.

"This leaves us in no doubt that the prosecution, which is accountable for produci...