NHRC Moves Suo Motu Over Increasing Missing Persons Cases, Questions Police Tracking Mechanism
(By Syed Ali Taher Abedi)
The National Human Rights Commission has taken Suo motu cognizance of reports highlighting a disturbing rise in missing persons cases and the poor rate of tracing them in several states, raising serious concerns about possible human trafficking and systemic lapses in investigation and rehabilitation mechanisms.
Acting on a media report published on March 9, 2026, the Commission noted that in Bihar alone, between 12,000 and 14,000 missing person cases have been registered every year since 2013.
A significant proportion of these cases reportedly involve children. However, the data suggests that only about two-thirds of the missing children have been traced, leaving a large number unaccounted for and vulnerable to exploitation.
The Commission has also taken note of statistics compiled by the National Crime Records Bureau indicating that the highest number of human trafficking cases have been registered in Odisha, Bihar, Telangana and Maharashtra.
Among these, Odisha reportedly tops the list in cases involving the trafficking of minor boys, followed by Bihar.
In contrast, trafficking of minor girls has been reported most prominently in Rajasthan.
According to the media report, many of the missing children are suspected to have been trafficked and forced into begging, child labour, prostitution and other forms of illegal activities by organised criminal networks operating across states.
Taking serious note of these allegations, the Commission observed that the contents of the report, if found to be true, point to grave violations of the human rights of the victims, particularly children who fall prey to trafficking and exploitation.
It further noted the reported concern that despite various initiatives and enforcement measures undertaken by state authorities, the number of missing persons continues to rise while the tracing rate remains unsatisfactory.
In view of the seriousness of the matter, the NHRC has issued notices to the Chief Secretaries and Directors General of Police of Bihar, Odisha, Telangana, Maharashtra and Rajasthan, calling for detailed reports within two weeks.
The Commission has directed the authorities to provide information on the steps taken or proposed to address the increasing number of missing persons, particularly children, and the mechanisms adopted for tracing and rehabilitating them.
Additionally, the Commission has sought the latest statistical data from the National Crime Records Bureau regarding the current status of missing persons in these five states.
The NHRC expects the data to help assess the scale of the problem and the effectiveness of the existing response mechanisms aimed at preventing trafficking and protecting vulnerable individuals.
