27,356 children in Delhi had gone missing between 2015 and Nov-end in 2018: Govt

Over 27,000 children in the national capital had gone missing between 2015 and 2018 November-end, of whom nearly 70 per cent were traced by the Delhi Police, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Wednesday.

Minister of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Gangaram Ahir, in a written reply, said out of the 27,356 missing children during that period, 19,596 were traced by the Delhi Police.

"Delhi Police has reported that on the directions of Hon'ble High Court of Delhi, Anti-Human Trafficking Units have been created in all the districts and the Crime Branch of Delhi Police for investigation of missing/untraced children up to the age of 3-8 years and identifying organised gangs involved in kidnapping of children," he said in response to a question.

According to Delhi Police records shared by him, the number of missing children in the city during 2018, till November 30, stood at 6,053.

The number of missing children in the city during the previous three years were -- 7,928 (in 2015); 6,921 (in 2016); and 6,454 (in 2017), he said in the written reply.

In 2018, up to November end, 5,520 cases were registered, 532 were worked out and 588 people were arrested, according to the data, which also stated that in 2015, as many as 7126 cases were registered, 749 were worked out and 1,215 people were arrested.