Gujarat Police trace 1,470 missing persons in month-long statewide operation
Gandhinagar, June 10
Gujarat Police traced 1,470 missing persons during a month-long statewide drive named 'Operation Milap', including hundreds of women and children, after reopening long-pending cases dating back nearly two decades, officials said on Wednesday.
The special campaign, launched across the state on May 7, was aimed at locating missing persons and reuniting them with their families.
According to police records, 24,767 people have been reported missing in Gujarat since 2007, prompting authorities to undertake a focused review of old and unresolved cases.
Of the 1,470 people traced during the operation, 852 were women, 342 were men, 42 were minor boys and 234 were minor girls.
Surat City Police recorded the highest number of recoveries, tracing 341 missing persons.
The operation involved a comprehensive review of old case files, fresh field verification and the use of technical and intelligence-based inputs.
Police teams examined digital records, monitored social media activity, visited public transport hubs and shelter homes, and re-established contact with complainants and witnesses to generate new leads.
"Although the special drive to trace missing persons has concluded, our efforts will not stop here. Police officers have been instructed to continue working on missing persons cases alongside their regular policing duties," Gujarat Director General of Police (DGP) G.S. Malik said.
Ajay Choudhary, Additional Director General of Police of CID Crime (Women Cell), said the campaign combined intelligence gathering with technological investigation methods.
"The entire operation was conducted on the basis of technical inputs and intelligence gathering. It included a detailed review of old case records and fresh field verification. Police teams examined digital records, social media activity, public transport hubs and shelter homes. They also reconnected with complainants and witnesses to develop new leads," he added.
A senior police officer said preliminary findings from the operation showed that adolescent girls formed the largest category among missing persons cases.
"During the special campaign, police traced a large number of missing children and women. The operation also included successes in long-pending cases and recoveries linked to states such as Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Assam, Jharkhand and West Bengal," the officer added.
Police analysis of the traced cases found that among girls aged between 14 and 17, romantic relationships and incidents of running away from home were among the leading reasons for disappearances.
Other factors identified included parental reprimands, academic failure and domestic disputes.
Authorities also recorded cases involving members of migrant labour families who went missing while relocating for work.
Police said the success of 'Operation Milap' was the result of intensive investigations, intelligence collection, mobile phone analysis, coordination with authorities in other states and family counselling efforts.
Police added that investigations into missing persons cases would continue beyond the conclusion of the special campaign.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Impressive numbers, but I wonder how many of these traced persons actually wanted to be found. The article mentions romantic relationships and running away among teenage girls - are these cases of kidnapping or choice? Privacy and consent matters too, especially for older teens. India needs better support systems for vulnerable youth, not just police reunions.
As someone from Gujarat, this makes me proud! 😊 My cousin was missing for 3 years before police found her in Rajasthan through similar efforts. The use of tech and revisiting old cases is exactly what we need. But why only a month-long drive? This should be ongoing, not a special operation. Missing person cases don't disappear after 30 days.
Good initiative but the root cause analysis is revealing - parental reprimands, academic failure, domestic disputes leading to children leaving home. 😢 Instead of just tracing, we need to address WHY kids are running away. Education pressure, family conflicts, poverty - these are societal issues. Police can bring them back, but can they fix the home environment? Counselling mentioned is good, but more needed.
Numbers look great - 1,470 in one month is solid work. But tracing is just step one. What about rehabilitation? Many of these women and children may have been trafficked or abused. Are they getting proper support? Also curious about the 342 men - missing men often go unnoticed in these statistics. Still, 24,767 is a huge backlog to clear. Keep going, Gujarat Police!
👏 Kudos to DGP Malik and team for this! As a parent, I can't imagine the pain of a missing
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