Minor children are at risk of missing if the data compiled by the Delhi Police is to be believed. According to the data, 3,316 children reportedly went missing in Delhi from January 1 to June 30 this year while 1,849 were traced and restored to their parents by the Delhi Police.
With 2,131 cases of missing female children reported in comparison to 1,185 male children in the early half of the year, the reported cases of female missing children is almost double that of the reported cases of missing male children.
The data revealed that out of the total 3,316 children missing; only 1,849 children including 694 male children and 1,155 female children were traced by the Delhi Police.
According to online portal “track child” by the Ministry of Women and Children Development, data as on Friday revealed that 975 children went missing in the past 30 days in Delhi out of which only 335 children were recovered. An average of 32 children per day allegedly went missing in the past 30 days.
The portal also shows that around 7002 children were founding missing in the past one year as seen from the uploaded data on Friday, of which only 3542 were allegedly rescued by the police.
Track the missing child is a portal dedicated to tracking missing and vulnerable children and holds a database of missing and recovered children. The website also contains photographs of missing and recovered children. Citizens can go through their database and help locate the children.
According to the Childline India Web Portal, the category of missing children include kidnapping and abduction by family members and non-family members, run-away children due to surrounding circumstances, trafficking, kidnapping for illegal organ trading, exploitation as labour and more. It also stated that it is hard to survey the missing children and most cases are often not reported to the police. Most children missing are also allegedly from poorer families.
It may be noted that Delhi Police Crime Branch had launched “Operation Milap” to trace missing minor children. The initiative was aimed at uniting missing children with their parents and has already restored children with their respective families in Delhi and Rajasthan. A senior police official said that there is a dedicated team that tracks missing children and they are united with their families after they are identified by their parents.