The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognisance of reports that 807 people went missing in Delhi between January 1 and January 15, 2026, and has issued notices to the Delhi Chief Secretary and the Police Commissioner seeking a detailed report within two weeks.
In a press release dated February 9, the Commission said that if the contents of the media report are true, they raise “serious issues of violation of human rights”. It has sought a comprehensive report from the Government of NCT of Delhi and Delhi Police on the steps taken to trace the missing persons and prevent recurrence.
807 missing in 15 days, 572 still untraced
According to official Delhi Police data cited in media reports, 807 persons were reported missing in the first 15 days of 2026. Of these, 191 were minors and 616 adults. Police have so far traced 235 individuals, while 572 remain untraced.
Women and girls accounted for 509 of the 807 cases — nearly two-thirds of the total — while 298 were men. The figures indicate that an average of 54 people went missing every day during the period.
Among minors, 169 were teenagers aged 12 to 18, including 138 girls and 31 boys. Nearly 71 per cent of these adolescents remain untraced.
Adults formed the largest share of missing persons, with 616 cases, including 363 women and 253 men. Of these, 435 adults have yet to be located.
Troubling yearly trend
The NHRC’s intervention comes against the backdrop of persistent missing persons cases in the national capital. In 2025 alone, 24,508 people were reported missing in Delhi. Of these, 15,421 were traced, while 9,087 cases remain unresolved. Women accounted for over 60 per cent of those reported missing last year.
A decadal analysis shows that between 2016 and 2026, more than 2.32 lakh people were reported missing in Delhi, with nearly 52,000 cases still unresolved.
Teenagers appear particularly vulnerable. Since 2016, more than 5,000 teenagers have gone missing each year on average, around 3,500 of them girls. In 2025 alone, 5,081 teenagers were reported missing, including 3,970 girls, of whom 1,013 remain untraced.
Police response
Following publication of the figures, Delhi Police said there was no need to panic over rumours about a surge in missing persons and indicated it would respond to the NHRC’s notice.
The police alleged that the “hype around the surge in missing girls” was being pushed through paid promotion and warned that creating panic for monetary gains would not be tolerated. Authorities also claimed that there had been a decline in the number of missing persons cases in the first 15 days of 2026 compared to the same period last year, though comparative figures were not provided.
Human rights concerns
The NHRC, established under the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, said the reported figures, if accurate, point to serious human rights concerns. Its intervention is expected to examine tracing efforts, preventive mechanisms, inter-agency coordination, and safeguards for vulnerable groups, particularly women and minors.
With 572 people still untraced within just the first fortnight of the year, the issue has reignited concerns around safety, trafficking risks, social vulnerabilities and systemic gaps in missing persons protocols in the national capital.
