SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir recorded 7,151 missing persons cases in 2023, including a significant number of women and children, with 4,190 people still untraced at the end of the year despite police recoveries, according to official data placed before Parliament by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Figures compiled by the National Crime Records Bureau show that 3,847 persons were already missing at the start of 2023 and another 3,304 fresh cases were reported during the year. Police traced 2,961 individuals, but the remaining 4,190 continued to be listed as untraced. Children and women account for a substantial share of these cases, with child disappearances rising steadily over the past four years and girls forming a large proportion of the missing minors.
The data indicate that missing children cases in Jammu and Kashmir climbed from 627 in 2020 to 723 in 2021, 821 in 2022 and continued at elevated levels in 2023. Of the 821 children reported missing in 2022, only 376 were traced, while 445 remained untraced. A similar pattern has persisted, with recoveries improving but a sizeable backlog continuing each year. Gender-wise figures show that girls constitute a higher proportion among missing children, while women account for a notable share among adult missing persons.
The trend among the overall population has also shown sustained pressure on tracing mechanisms. In 2020, the Union Territory reported 5,824 missing persons during the year, of whom 2,011 were traced and 3,813 remained untraced. In 2021, the total rose to 6,486 with 2,526 recoveries, leaving 3,960 pending. In 2022, the figure increased further to 6,983, with 3,136 traced and 3,847 still missing. The 2023 tally marked the highest level in the four-year period.
The Ministry informed the House that policing and investigation fall under the jurisdiction of the State and Union Territory administrations, which are responsible for maintaining law and order and tracing missing persons. The Centre supplements these efforts through advisories, child protection services and financial support mechanisms.
To assist victims and families, the Government said a 24-hour Child Helpline (1098) operates nationwide for children in distress, while shelter and rehabilitation support is available through Child Care Institutions under Mission Vatsalya and ‘Shakti Sadan’ homes under Mission Shakti. Legal Services Authorities also provide financial compensation to victims under the Victim Compensation Scheme.
Nationally, the scale is significantly larger. NCRB figures show that across India 6.70 lakh persons were reported missing in 2020, 7.27 lakh in 2021, 7.85 lakh in 2022 and 8.68 lakh in 2023. Of these, over 4.60 lakh were traced in 2023, but more than 4 lakh cases remained untraced at the end of the year, including those carried forward.
The Government said the combined strategy of house-to-house investigations, coordination between police units, helplines, shelters and compensation frameworks is aimed at ensuring faster tracing and rehabilitation, while acknowledging that the rising numbers underline the continuing challenge of locating missing persons, particularly women and children.
