NEW DELHI: Delhi Police on Friday said claims of a sudden surge in missing girls and children in the capital were being amplified through paid promotions, warning of strict action against those “creating panic for monetary gains”.
In two posts on X over the last 24 hours, the police rejected what they called rumour-driven narratives. On Thursday evening, Delhi Police appealed to citizens “not to fall victim to rumours of a sudden rise in cases of missing children”, cautioning that those misrepresenting statistics to spread fear would face legal action.
On Friday morning, the force went a step further, saying that after following multiple leads, it had found the “hype” around missing girls being pushed through paid promotion.
The police assertion is backed by official data released the same day, which shows that missing-person cases in Delhi have remained largely stable over the past decade, with a marginal decline in recent months.
What the data says
According to Delhi Police, the city recorded a 2% drop in missing-person cases in 2025, a downward trend that has continued into early 2026. In January 2026, 1,777 cases were reported — lower than the 2025 monthly average of 2,042 and slightly below the 1,786 cases recorded in January 2024.
Police said Delhi maintains a per-capita missing-person rate of 122.5 per 1,00,000 population, which it claims is lower than comparable figures in the UK and the US. Since 2016, 1,80,805 missing persons have been traced, reflecting a cumulative recovery rate of about 77%.
Senior officers stressed that high reporting numbers should not be mistaken for a rise in long-term disappearances. “Delhi follows a digital-first, transparent reporting system. Even short-duration absences — a child delayed from school, a teenager temporarily unreachable due to connectivity issues, or precautionary complaints by anxious parents — are immediately recorded,” an officer said. Many such cases, police added, are resolved within hours but remain on record if families do not formally report the person’s return.
The pace of recovery has also accelerated. In 2016, 23,409 people were reported missing, of whom 20,029 were eventually traced — an 85% recovery achieved over nine years. In contrast, 2025 saw 24,508 missing-person reports, with 15,421 traced within the same calendar year itself, indicating a 63% recovery rate in a much shorter time frame. Police said these figures will continue to improve as ongoing investigations conclude.
No gangs, priority to children
Delhi Police PRO Sanjay Tyagi said there was “no need for fear or panic”, particularly regarding children. “Compared to the past, there has been no increase in missing-person reports in Delhi. In January 2026, there was a drop compared to the same period last year,” Tyagi said in a video message.
He emphasised that missing children cases are prioritised under standard operating procedures, with dedicated district-level missing-person squads and the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) of the Crime Branch working round the clock. Missing persons can be reported at police stations, online, or through ERSS-112.
Importantly, Tyagi said no organised gangs have been found involved in missing children or kidnapping cases in the capital. “We appeal to people not to pay heed to rumours. Appropriate action will be taken against those spreading them,” he said.
Officers working on the ground said many recovered children had left home willingly. Senior Constable Monika of the AHTU explained that younger children often go missing because they do not know their address or parents’ contact details, while teenagers are sometimes lured by strangers or influenced by social media. “With technical surveillance and CCTV analysis, we trace such children,” she said.
Head Constable Seema Tyagi added that academic pressure, family disputes and personal issues are common triggers among teenagers. “Many provide false details after leaving home. Sometimes families hesitate to report immediately due to fear of social stigma,” she said.
Political sparring
The police clarification comes amid a political row after former Delhi chief minister and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal raised concerns over safety, citing reports of 807 missing persons in the first 15 days of 2026.
“In Delhi, 807 people have gone missing in just 15 days, most of them women and children. These circumstances are extremely frightening,” Kejriwal posted on X, questioning law and order under BJP rule.
Delhi Police, however, maintained that such figures, when seen without context, can be misleading. “Transparent and accessible reporting often leads to higher immediate numbers, but that reflects responsiveness — not a breakdown of safety,” a senior officer said, reiterating that panic-driven narratives, especially those pushed through paid campaigns, would not be tolerated.