South-West Delhi Police reunite 193 missing persons with families under 'Operation Milap'
New Delhi, July 2
The South-West District Police of the Delhi Police have reunited 193 missing persons with their families during June 2026 under "Operation Milap", officials said on Thursday.
According to police, the 193 persons traced during the month included 48 children who were reported missing or kidnapped, and 145 adults. The recovery drive was carried out between June 1 and June 30, 2026. Since the beginning of 2026, the district police have traced a total of 866 missing persons, which includes 226 children and 640 adults.
As part of the standard procedure, police teams launched intensive search operations immediately after receiving missing persons complaints. Investigators examined CCTV footage, circulated photographs at bus terminals, railway stations, auto-rickshaw and e-rickshaw stands, and also coordinated with drivers, conductors, vendors and residents to gather leads. Police further relied on local informers and verified records from nearby police stations and hospitals to trace the missing individuals.
Among the police units, the District Missing Persons Unit (DMPU) recovered the highest number of adults, tracing 57 missing persons during the period. The Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) successfully traced 18 missing or kidnapped children. Several police stations, including Vasant Vihar, Vasant Kunj North and South, Kapashera, Palam Village, Sagarpur, Delhi Cantonment, Sarojini Nagar, R.K. Puram, South Campus, S.J. Enclave and Kishangarh, also contributed to the recovery of missing children and adults.
Police further stated that many of those reunited had been missing for extended periods. Of the 193 persons traced in June 2026, 117 had gone missing in the same year, while others were traced from previous years: 34 from 2025, 20 from 2024, 16 from 2023, three from 2022, two from 2021 and one from 2019.
Officials said the success of Operation Milap reflects coordinated policing efforts, timely action and sustained investigation by multiple teams. They added that the initiative demonstrates the South-West District Police's continued commitment to locating missing persons and ensuring their safe reunion with families.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Great initiative! I'm a social worker in the UK and we have similar programs, but this seems more community-driven with the coordination with auto-rickshaw drivers and vendors. That local intelligence network is powerful in India. Really impressive numbers for a single month.
Good work by Delhi Police but we need to ask - why are so many people going missing in the first place? 866 missing since January is alarming. The police deserve credit for reunions but prevention should be priority. Mental health support and better child safety education need more attention. Still, hats off to the teams involved 🙏
My cousin went missing last year in Delhi and the police didn't take it seriously at first. But after she was found thanks to Operation Milap, I can't thank them enough. The emotional impact on families is indescribable. So grateful to every officer who worked on this 😢❤️
Impressive statistics but I'm curious about the 'kidnapped' vs 'missing' distinction. 48 children labelled as kidnapped sounds worrying. Would be good to know how many were actually abducted versus runaways or lost. Either way, reuniting 193 families in a month is commendable work.
This is exactly the kind of policing we need - proactive, compassionate, and efficient. Many of these missing persons might have been victims of trafficking or exploitation. The fact that AHTU found 18 children is particularly significant. Hope this model spreads across other districts in India 🇮🇳
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