Rise in missing person cases in India

The Supreme Court directed that a uniform procedure be implemented in all states and union territories in view of the increasing number of cases of missing children in the country. While considering a case of some children who went missing in 2011, a bench comprising Justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and R. Mahadevan called for the implementation of a uniform Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).

The court also pointed out that practical strategies should be applied in human trafficking cases rather than academic formulas. If we examine the figures from Kerala, the number of missing people is increasing with each passing year. Serious questions like where they are going, whether they are being used for drug trafficking, and the doubtful involvement of organised forces remain unanswered.

According to the figures released by the Kerala Police, 8700 cases of missing persons were reported in 2020. By 2024, it had reached 12,000. This is the highest rate in the last five years. According to the provisional figures for 2025, 11,139 cases were registered. Economic and social issues are mainly cited as the reason behind many people going missing. When examining the complaints, it is clear that many people leave their families due to financial difficulties. However, children do not go missing for such reasons. The number of parents who abandon their children due to financial straits remains very small in percentage. Children who leave home voluntarily are often searched for and found by the police. However, incidents of children disappearing due to the instigation of some secret groups have also been reported.

Special attention is often not given to investigating such cases. Moreover, the existence of different laws related to human trafficking in different states is hampering investigations. It is in this context that the top court asked for a legal framework to ensure that an investigation is carried out as soon as a complaint is received.

In addition to children, women are also among the missing people in the state. Love failures and family issues are also causes of disappearances. A small minority of those who go missing return without any need for investigation.

The Supreme Court's intervention points out the need to take the issue seriously. The police should take action as soon as a complaint is received. Similarly, relatives should also be careful to file complaints immediately in cases of missing persons. The Supreme Court has asked the Central Government to prepare guidelines with a time limit for the investigation. The court has also said that the Delhi Government's suggestions in this regard can be examined by the Centre and other states. Agencies working in this field and human rights activists have repeatedly requested the Centre to have a uniform rule in the country to prevent human trafficking.