More than 500 women and girls were reported missing in Delhi in the first 15 days of 2026, nearly two-thirds of all missing cases, according to police data. Of the 807 who went missing between January 1 and 15, 509 were women and girls.
So far 235 people have been traced, but Delhi Police records show that as many as 572 people remain unaccounted for. (Representative/Sanchit Khanna/HT Photo)This means that an average of 54 people are reported missing every day. Of the 509 women and girls and 298 men, 235 have been identified so far, but as many as 572 remain unaccounted for, police records show.
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News agency PTI reported that 191 of the total missing cases were of minors, raising concerns about children’s safety. Girls made up a larger portion of these cases, with 146 missing girls compared to 45 boys. Teenagers constituted the majority of missing minors, with 169 teenagers reported missing during the period. Out of these 138 are girls and 31 are boys. Police data indicates that about 71 percent of these juvenile cases are still unsolved.
Thirteen children between the ages of 8 and 12 are reported missing, including eight boys and five girls, and nine children under the age of eight are also reported missing. According to the report, only six children of this young age group have been found.
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Adults continue to represent the largest category of missing persons. During the same period, 616 adults, including 363 women and 253 men, were reported missing. Police have been able to identify 181 adults, while 435 cases are pending.
The latest figures reflect a larger, long-term trend in the capital In 2025 alone, more than 24,500 cases of missing persons were recorded in Delhi, of which more than 60 percent were women. A decade-long analysis shows that around 2.3 lakh people have gone missing in the city in the last 10 years, with around 52,000 cases still unsolved.
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Police officials said efforts are on to trace the missing persons with special focus on cases involving women and children.
(with input from PTI)
