New Delhi,: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognisance of a media report citing Delhi Police data, which revealed that 807 people went missing in the national capital during the first two weeks of January this year.
According to the data, the missing persons include 191 minors and 616 adults. While 235 individuals have been traced so far, 572 remain untraced. Observing that the contents of the news report, if true, “raise serious issues of violation of human rights”, the apex human rights body has issued notices to the Chief Secretary of the Delhi government and the Commissioner of Police, Delhi, seeking a detailed report on the matter within two weeks.
As per the media report carried on February 5, 2026, a total of 24,508 people were reported missing in Delhi during 2025. Of these, nearly 60 per cent were women. While the police managed to trace 15,421 missing persons, as many as 9,087 cases continue to remain unresolved.
The report further highlighted the heightened risk faced by teenagers, noting that more than 5,000 teenagers, of which about 3500 were girls, have gone missing every year since 2016.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Police has dismissed reports of a sudden increase in cases of missing children and warned rumour mongers of strict legal action for “spreading unnecessary fear by misrepresenting data”.
The police rejected claims of any spike in missing persons cases, stating that official data shows no abnormal rise and that figures have remained broadly stable for nearly a decade. Police data further showed that annual missing-person figures have hovered between 23,000 and 24,000 since 2016, despite rapid population growth in the national capital.
Taking to the social media platform X on February 6, the Delhi Police said, “We appeal to citizens not to fall prey to rumours about a sudden increase in cases of missing children. While refuting such claims, we also warn rumour mongers of strict legal action for spreading unnecessary fear by misrepresenting data. The safety of every child is paramount for the Delhi Police. The Delhi Police is committed to providing 24×7 service and locating missing/abducted children and reuniting them with their families expeditiously.”
(IANS)
