More than 20,000 persons (including close to 6,000 children) were reported missing in Delhi each year in the 2017-2023 period with the exception of 2020
| Photo Credit: Karma Bhutia
The National Human Rights Commission on Monday issued notices to the Delhi government, Chief Secretary, Commissioner of Police seeking a detailed report on missing person complaints registered this year.
The Commission’s action comes in response to the recently released missing person figures which showed that over 800 persons went missing in the national capital in the first 15 days of January this year.
While the Delhi Police stated last Thursday that there is “no cause for panic or fear” as the figures actually reflected a decline compared to the same period in previous years, the NHRC observed that if these reports were true, it raised serious issues of violation of human rights.
While the recent figures have grabbed headlines, data points to a deeper crisis in the national capital: a mounting number of missing and unrecovered persons, with figures now rivaling those of the largest States in the country.
On average, Delhi accounted for almost 8% of all missing person cases in the country between 2017-2023 period. When it came to cases of missing children, Delhi accounted for 10% of all such cases in the country in the period.
As per the data in NCRB, more than 20,000 persons (including close to 6,000 children) were reported missing in Delhi each year in the 2017-2023 period with the exception of 2020. That translates to an average of 62 persons (of which 16 are children) reported missing every day in the 2017-2023 period.
While the Delhi Police attribute the high volume of cases to superior reporting compared to other cities, the sheer scale of the numbers cannot be explained away by reporting efficiency alone.
A State-wise analysis reveals that Delhi consistently ranked among the top five States and Union Territories for missing children cases reported, throughout the 2017–2023 period. Notably, the other states on this list—West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Rajasthan—are significantly larger in terms of both geography and population.
However, the capital’s recovery rate remains a concern, trailing significantly behind States like Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh in its share of children successfully traced each year. This disparity highlights a growing backlog: a substantial number of children reported missing in previous years remain unrecovered.
A similar analysis of missing persons cases reveals that Delhi consistently ranks among the top seven States and Union Territories. Notably, the list is otherwise dominated by significantly larger states, including Maharashtra, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu.
Similar to the trends seen in missing children cases, the capital city ranked significantly lower than these larger States in recovery percentage—defined as the share of persons traced out of the total reported missing.
A gender-wise analysis reveals a striking disparity, with women and girls making up a disproportionate share of Delhi’s missing persons. In fact, for every two men or boys reported missing, there were roughly three reports for women and girls—representing a volume 1.5 times higher.
Between 2017 and 2023, the capital averaged 13,000 missing women and 4,000 missing girls annually. By comparison, reports for men and boys were lower, averaging 9,750 and 1,970 cases per year, respectively.
Published – February 12, 2026 08:00 am IST
