SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir reported 2,182 cases of child kidnapping and abduction over the last five years, while neighbouring Ladakh recorded 12 cases during the same period, according to data tabled in the Lok Sabha by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
The data, compiled by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), shows that J&K witnessed a steady rise in such cases from 293 in 2020 to 478 in 2021, before peaking at 513 in 2022. The numbers have since declined for two consecutive years, falling to 486 in 2023 and 412 in 2024.
Ladakh, on the other hand, reported no child kidnapping cases in 2020 and 2021. The Union Territory recorded five cases in 2022, four in 2023 and three in 2024, taking the five-year total to 12.
The parliamentary data further reveals that 423 children were reported as victims in J&K in 2024, while 408 were recovered alive. In 2023, the UT recorded 502 child victims and 481 recoveries. The NCRB noted that recovery figures include children rescued from cases registered in previous years.
In Ladakh, three child victims were reported in 2024, and all three were recovered alive. The UT had reported five victims with seven recoveries in 2023, five victims with three recoveries in 2022, and no cases in 2020 and 2021.
The data also highlights child trafficking cases. Jammu and Kashmir reported a total of 32 trafficked children between 2020 and 2024—two each in 2020 and 2021, 10 each in 2022 and 2023, and eight in 2024. All trafficked children reported during the five-year period were rescued. Ladakh did not report any child trafficking cases during the period.
Responding to an unstarred question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar said policing and public order are State subjects, while the Centre has strengthened mechanisms to trace missing children by integrating the TrackChild portal and Khoya-Paya application with the Mission Vatsalya portal and the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS).
The Ministry said Child Helpline 1098, Railway Protection Force initiatives such as “Operation AAHT” and “Nanhe Farishtey”, Anti-Human Trafficking Units across the country and advisories to States and Union Territories for prompt registration of FIRs and coordinated search operations are among the measures taken to improve the safety and recovery of missing children.
