Lucknow, Jan. 11 -- The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court has directed the principal secretary (home), Uttar Pradesh, to file a personal affidavit (reply) explaining why a person who went missing from the state capital in April last year has still not been traced, despite the presence of CCTV surveillance across the city. The court stipulated that the affidavit must be filed within three weeks, cautioning that in the event of non-compliance, the principal secretary (home) will be required to appear in person before the court on the next date of hearing, along with the relevant records. It directed to list the case for February 4, 2026. The order was passed by a division bench of justice Abdul Moin and justice Babita Rani on January 7 in response to a petition filed by Sairun Nisha. The petition concerns a missing person who allegedly disappeared from Lucknow on April 22, 2025. A missing person's report was lodged the very next day, on April 23, 2025. The court took on record the personal affidavit filed by the investigating officer, which was placed before the court by the state counsel. However, the court found the affidavit unsatisfactory, noting that it only referred to efforts having been made by the police to trace the missing person, without any tangible outcome. The court said that more than eight months had passed since the disappearance, yet the individual remained untraced. It expressed concern over the lack of results, particularly given that the incident took place in Lucknow, the state capital of UP. The court observed that it was "rather strange" that a person could go missing from a city equipped with CCTV cameras on all major roads and chaurahas and still not be traced after such a long period. Terming the matter as serious, the high court decided to seek an explanation from the highest level of the state's home administration. MANOJ KUMAR SINGH...