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Amid rising reports of missing persons in the national capital, Delhi Police has assured the public that there is no need for fear or panic, particularly regarding children.
Delhi Police PRO Sanjay Tyagi on Thursday said that, compared with previous years, there has been no increase in missing-person reports in the city. In fact, January 2026 saw fewer such cases than in the same period last year. "There is no need to fear or panic regarding the missing persons in Delhi, especially children. Compared to the past, there has been no increase in reporting missing persons in Delhi. In January 2026, compared to the same period last year, there has been a drop in reporting missing persons. It is also worth mentioning that Delhi Police follows the policy of fair and transparent reporting of crime," Tyagi said in a video released by Delhi Police. He added that missing persons can be reported not only at local police stations but also online or via ERSS 112. Under standard operating procedures (SOPs), Delhi Police prioritises locating missing children and acts promptly. Dedicated missing person squads in districts, along with the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit in the Crime Branch, ensure effective action. Tyagi emphasised that no organised gangs have been found involved in cases of missing children or kidnappings. "It is being made clear that no involvement of an organised gang has come to light regarding missing children or kidnapping. We appeal to you to pay no heed to rumours in this regard. Appropriate action will be taken against those spreading rumour," he said. The Anti-Human Trafficking Unit's women's team has been actively working to reunite missing children of all ages with their families, successfully reuniting hundreds over the past 2-3 years. Delhi Police Senior Constable Monika explained that many recovered children had left home willingly. Younger children often go missing because they do not know their address, parents' names, or contact numbers, while teenagers can be lured by strangers, sometimes under the pretext of marriage. Technical surveillance is then used to trace them. "The children recovered by our team so far were those who had left willingly. The younger children go missing as they do not know their address, the names of their parents or mobile numbers. The teenagers get lured by strangers, even under the pretext of marriage, following which they run away from their parents' house...With the help of technical surveillance, we trace such children," Senior Constable Monika told ANI. Head Constable Seema Tyagi added that most teenagers run away due to study-related pressures or personal issues. "Most of the teenagers run away from home under pressure of study. Wherever they run, they provide false details to stay. There was a recent case in which a 12-13-year-old boy repeatedly nagged his parents to take him on an outing. The parents were not capable...So, he left on his own. We identified him using CCTV footage. Many a time, teenage boys and girls leave together, but the families do not inform us for the fear of society, their honour and legal proceedings. Sometimes, the children also get influenced by social media," Seema Tyagi told ANI. Earlier on Thursday, Delhi Police released data showing that missing-person cases in the national capital declined in January 2026 compared to the previous year. The data indicate that the number of people reported missing in Delhi has remained largely stable over the past decade, with annual figures ranging between 23,000 and 24,000 since 2016, despite the city's growing population. In January 2026, 1,777 missing cases were recorded, compared with an average of approximately 2,000 per month in the national capital. Delhi Police data shows that since 2016, a total of 1,80,805 missing persons have been traced and reunited with their families, reflecting a recovery rate of about 77 per cent. (ANI)
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