At 30.1, Chandigarh’s missing children recovery %age fourth lowest

Amit Sharma

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 23

The city has the fourth lowest recovery percentage of missing children in the country. While Punjab has the lowest percentage at 19.8, Ladakh has 20 per cent recovery followed by Jammu and Kashmir at 29.2 per cent and Chandigarh at 30.1 per cent.

A report of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) released recently reveals that 356 children — 167 boys and 189 girls — were missing from previous years, while 153 children — 44 boys and 109 girls — went missing from the city in 2020.

Of the 509 missing children from previous years and 2020, the police managed to trace only 153 children — 43 boys and 110 girls.

The police have to register a kidnapping case within 24 hours of a child going missing.

A police official said there were several cases of elopement among missing children.

“In the past, it has also been observed that children leave home to avoid going to school,” said a police official.

Some other reasons behind children going missing include abusive families and unemployment within family, owing to which children run away from their homes.

Every year, the local police hold a month-long programme, Operation Muskan, to trace missing children. Several teams are constituted and sent to neighboring states, including Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan to trace missing children.

The programme is being held since 2015. However, due to Covid-19, it could not be organised in 2020, but was held in April this year.

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