New Delhi (Rajeev Sharma): A disturbing trend continues to grip the national capital as Delhi Police data reveals that 19,682 people have gone missing from January to mid-October 2025. Of these, an alarming 11,917 are women and girls, making up 61 percent of all missing persons this year.
The data highlights a clear and persistent gender disparity only 7,765 missing persons were men and boys, accounting for 39 percent of the total. Among the missing children, 72 percent (3,509) were girls and 28 percent (1,345) were boys. In the adult category, 57 percent (8,408) were women and 43 percent (6,420) were men.
So far, police have managed to trace 10,780 missing persons about 55 percent of the total cases. Among those traced, 6,541 were women and girls, while 4,239 were men and boys. The remaining 45 percent of cases are still under investigation, with many families waiting for answers.
Over the past decade, the numbers reveal a worrying pattern. From 2015 to 2025, nearly 2.51 lakh people have gone missing in Delhi, of which over 1.42 lakh (56 percent) were women and girls. Experts say teenage girls remain the most vulnerable group, particularly those aged 12 to 18, who account for the majority of missing children cases.
Women’s rights organizations have raised concerns that many of these disappearances may be linked to human trafficking, domestic abuse, and forced marriages. They have called for urgent improvements in police tracing systems, community awareness, and social protection mechanisms to address the growing crisis.
Police officials maintain that efforts are being intensified through digital tracking, facial recognition, and inter-state coordination to locate the missing, but the sheer scale of cases underscores the challenges faced by law enforcement.
