More than 800 people were reported missing in Delhi in just the first 15 days of 2026, with women and girls making up nearly two-thirds of the cases, according to official Delhi Police data accessed by PTI. The figures have raised fresh concerns about public safety in the national capital, especially for women and children.
Between January 1 and January 15, a total of 807 missing person complaints were registered across the city. This means that, on average, around 54 people went missing every day. Of these, 509 were women and girls, while 298 were men. Police have so far traced only 235 people, leaving 572 individuals still unaccounted for.
Children and teenagers remain among the most vulnerable. During the first half of January, 191 minors were reported missing in Delhi. Girls accounted for a large majority, with 146 cases, compared to 45 boys. Teenagers were the worst affected within this group. A total of 169 adolescents went missing, including 138 girls and 31 boys. Police have managed to trace only 48 of them so far, meaning nearly 71 per cent of missing teenagers are still missing.
Younger children were also affected. In the age group of eight to twelve years, 13 children were reported missing, including eight boys and five girls. Only three boys were traced, while the rest remain missing. Among children below eight years of age, nine cases were reported, of which police traced only three boys. Six young children are still untraced.
Adults form the largest share of missing persons in Delhi. In the first 15 days of January alone, 616 adults were reported missing, including 363 women and 253 men. Police traced 91 women and 90 men, but 435 adult cases remain unresolved.
The data reflects a continuing and long-term crisis. In 2025, Delhi recorded 24,508 missing person cases. Women made up over 60 per cent of these, with 14,870 cases, the highest number in a single year. Men accounted for 9,638 cases. While police traced 15,421 individuals, 9,087 cases are still pending.
Over the past decade, the scale of the problem has been even more alarming. In the last ten years, 2,32,737 people were reported missing in Delhi. Although around 1.8 lakh were traced, nearly 52,000 cases remain unresolved. Teenagers continue to face the highest risk, with more than 5,000 going missing every year on average since 2016. Girls account for nearly 3,500 of these cases annually. In 2025 alone, 5,081 teenagers went missing, including 3,970 girls, and 1,013 of them are still missing.
Police said efforts are being stepped up to trace missing persons. Under Operation Milap, a special drive to locate missing people, South West District Police reunited 75 individuals with their families in January, including 28 missing or kidnapped children and 47 adults.
