New Delhi: It’s not just alarming and disturbing but is also slowly assuming grave proportions.
Over 800 people have been reported missing in Delhi in the first 15 days of 2026, according to official data from the Delhi Police accessed by news agency PTI. Of these, nearly two-thirds are women and girls.
Between January 1 and 15, as many as 807 people were reported missing, averaging about 54 cases a day. Out of these, 509 were women and girls, while 298 were men.
A glance through daily newspapers indicates that such missing people cases have become disturbingly frequent, and this underlines the scale and urgency of the problem.
What does the data say
As per the data, among the total reported missing people, a total of 191 were minors, while 616 were adults. The data showed that around 572 people are still untraced, while the police have managed to locate 235 of the missing people.
On an average, 13 children were reported missing every day between January 1 and 15, with girls making up 146 of the 191 cases involving missing minors, the data said. Out of the missing minors, 169 were teenagers — 138 teenage girls, and 31 boys. A total of 29 girls and 19 boys were traced, but almost 71 per cent of adolescents are still untraced, according to the data.
In the 8–12 age group, 13 children went missing — eight boys and five girls — with only three of the boys traced till now. In the under-eight age group, nine children were reported missing. Of these, three boys have been found, while there’s no trace of six children.
Most of missing people are adults
Most of the missing persons are adults. In the first half of January, 616 adults went missing, including 363 women and 253 men. While the police managed to trace 90 men and 91 women, 435 people are still untraced, according to the data.
In 2025, a total of 24,508 missing persons cases were reported in Delhi. Of these, women made up 14,870 cases (60%), and men accounted for 9,638. The police succeeded in tracing 15,421 persons, but 9,087 cases remained unresolved, the data showed.
Each year, the cases of missing people are rising in Delhi. Over the past 10 years, 2,32,737 missing persons cases have been recorded in the national capital. While around 1.8 lakh people were traced, almost 52,000 cases are yet to be cracked, according to Delhi Police records.
Teens face huge risk
Teenagers are facing a huge risk in the city. Since 2016, over 5,000 teenagers have gone missing every year on an average, with girls accounting for almost 3,500 of these cases annually. In 2025, 5,081 teenagers were reported missing and out of these, 3,970 were girls. As many as 1,013 of them still remain untraced. At 14,870, the year 2025 recorded the highest number of missing women cases.
What does the data show
The data indicates a steep rise in missing persons cases in Delhi, with women, girls, and teenagers forming a large share of those reported missing. A huge number of cases are still unresolved, which means that there are gaps in tracing and recovery efforts. Teenage girls and women are apparently most vulnerable. However, the problem cuts across age groups. As missing persons report rise, the trend is troubling and calls for action. There’s an urgent need for stronger preventive measures and faster response mechanisms.
A special drive — “Operation Milap — was launched to trace missing persons. Under it, South-West District Police reunited 75 individuals, 28 missing or kidnapped children and 47 adults, with their families in January. More such schemes should be undertaken on a war-footing.