Thiruvananthapuram | A Kerala court on Friday directed the CBI to further investigate the disappearance of Jesna Maria James, a second-year B Com student, from her home in Pathanamthitta district in 2018.

The direction to the agency was issued by Chief Judicial Magistrate Shibu Daniel on a plea moved by the missing girl's father against a closure report filed in the case by the CBI.

The order was confirmed by advocate Srinivasan Venugopal who represents the father.

The probe was handed over to the CBI in 2021 by the state crime branch on the directions of the Kerala High Court.

The girl had gone missing on March 22, 2018