Bhubaneswar: Odisha Police rescued 17,590 missing women and children between January and June 2026, reuniting them with their families through coordinated investigations and sustained search operations across the state.
According to an official statement, the achievement was made under the guidance of Director General of Police Yogesh Bahadur Khurania, with the Crime Against Women and Children (CAW & CW) wing leading investigations and coordinating with police agencies in other states.
Police records show that 4,873 children, including 538 boys, 4,334 girls and one transgender child, were reported missing during the six-month period. During the same period, police rescued 5,413 children, including cases registered earlier. Puri district recorded the highest number of child recoveries with 1,161 rescues, followed by the Bhubaneswar Urban Police District (399) and Mayurbhanj district (278).
In the case of missing women, 10,605 cases were reported between January and June. Odisha Police rescued 12,177 women during the period, exceeding the number of fresh cases reported as efforts also covered pending missing-person cases. Puri district led the state with 3,713 women rescued, followed by Jajpur with 820 and Ganjam with 581.
Overall, Puri emerged as the state’s best-performing district, rescuing a combined total of 4,874 missing persons, including 1,161 children and 3,713 women.
The official statement said the Women and Child Protection wing has been conducting regular search drives under the special initiative “Operation Anweshan” to trace missing women and children. Two such campaigns have been carried out so far this year.
During the latest phase of Operation Anweshan, conducted from July 18 to July 22, police rescued 321 missing children, including 35 boys and 286 girls, along with 2,434 missing women.
Odisha Police said it would continue to expand and intensify such special campaigns in the coming months, reaffirming its commitment to ensuring the safety and protection of women and children across the state.
