Delhi: Missing persons surge draws scrutiny as rights panel intervenes

While Delhi Police has increasingly doubled down on recent reports of a rise in the total number of missing people, the National Human Rights Commission’s (NHRC) decision to take suo motu cognisance has added a fresh layer of scrutiny to the situation.

On February 11, the Delhi High Court sent notices to the Commissioner of Police and the Chief Secretary of the Delhi Government, seeking a detailed response to claims raised in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed the same day. While labelling the PIL as frivolous, the court listed the matter for further hearing on February 18.

Rising numbers and police response

According to ZIPNET data, from November 1, 2025, to February 12, 2026, a total of 7,318 missing persons were recorded in the national capital. During the same period in the previous winter season, around 5,000 remained untraced since 2024, while 2,563 people were marked as traced.

Police officials have attributed the figures to several factors, including increased vigilance, enhanced tracking systems, and improved collaboration with non-governmental organisations. A senior police officer said comprehensive efforts have been launched to tackle human trafficking, highlighting that dedicated teams, better surveillance, and the strategic use of CCTV cameras have improved the ability to trace missing persons and prevent trafficking.

“However, some of them run off by their own accord. It is difficult to track them, or if the person is an adult,” he said.

Even in 2024, the number of untraced missing persons dropped to 22,040 cases compared to 24,356 in 2023, reflecting a 9.5 % decline. However, the ratio remains stark, as for every individual located, two others remain untraced.

From January 1, 2024, to January 1, 2025, Delhi Police recovered 9,377 missing individuals, down from 10,566 in the previous comparable period. While these figures reflect progress, they also expose persistent gaps in the system.

District-wise trends

The figures show that the North East district recorded the highest number of unresolved cases, with 734 individuals still missing, followed by the Outer North district with 731 and the Outer district with 682.

Significant numbers were also reported in South West (635), South East (589), South (565), and Dwarka (529) districts. In contrast, more central or specialised zones showed relatively lower figures, with the North district at 286, Rohini at 435, and the East district at 438.

The districts of West (385), Shahdara (297), Central (296), and North West (288) remain areas of concern, while the Railway zone (60) and the New Delhi district (41) reported the fewest instances of untraced individuals.

Anti-trafficking operations

One of the key contributors to the reduction in trafficking cases has been the Anti-Human Trafficking Units (AHTUs) under Delhi Police. Launched as part of a 2010 Ministry of Home Affairs scheme, these units were created to address human trafficking through a coordinated, systemic approach.

The scheme mandated specialised units in every district, focusing on prevention, rescue, rehabilitation, and prosecution. These units conduct raids and rescue operations while offering survivors counselling and vocational training. Each AHTU comprises trained inspectors, sub-inspectors, and constables who work in close coordination with social welfare departments and other stakeholders. This integrated model has enabled police to dismantle complex trafficking networks with greater accuracy.

AHTUs also spearhead Operation Muskaan, a flagship initiative aimed at rescuing trafficked children. As of October 30, 2024, 989 children were rescued in 97 cases, compared to 1,257 children in 126 cases in 2023.

Many rescued children were subjected to exploitative labour, working long hours in hazardous conditions for meagre wages. While the dip in numbers may suggest success, the persistence of child labour remains a major concern as traffickers evolve their methods. A senior police officer said increased surveillance and strategically placed units have enabled authorities to crack down on these networks tirelessly.

Placement agencies and forced labour

A new and more insidious challenge has emerged involving placement agencies exploiting legal loopholes to employ minors. These agencies often place children as domestic workers in households or businesses where they are paid paltry sums and subjected to exploitative conditions.

According to Delhi Police, while intra-city child trafficking is relatively uncommon, Delhi’s geographical position near Gurugram and Noida has turned it into a hub for trafficking. Many children are brought into the city and pushed into forced labour, with placement agencies playing a pivotal role.

Although the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, prohibits the employment of children under 14 and restricts hazardous work for those aged between 14 and 18, violations continue with alarming regularity.

Organ trafficking networks exposed

Another persistent factor is organ harvesting in the national capital. In recent months, the city has been shaken by the exposure of a sophisticated international organ trafficking network, highlighting the grim reality of the “red market” operating within the city’s shadows.

According to recent reports from Delhi Police and central agencies, a major organ harvesting racket was dismantled following investigations into several private hospitals and suspicious medical tourism activities. The syndicate primarily targeted vulnerable individuals from neighbouring countries, particularly Bangladesh, luring them with the promise of high-paying jobs or financial relief from debts, only to coerce them into “donating” their kidneys for a fraction of the promised sum.

Investigations revealed traffickers manipulated legal loopholes and forged documentation to bypass the strict requirements of the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act. In July 2024, Delhi Police arrested a high-profile transplant surgeon allegedly linked to numerous illegal surgeries.

It is reported that the syndicate charged wealthy recipients—many of whom travelled to Delhi specifically for these procedures—upwards of Rs 49,33,488 and Rs 61,66,860 per transplant. Meanwhile, donors, often impoverished labourers, were frequently left with significant medical complications and paid as little as Rs 2.4 lakh, if they were paid at all.

The scale of the operation prompted a wider crackdown by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which recently apprehended key figures in an Iran-linked organ trade ring that used Delhi as a transit and recruitment hub. These networks allegedly operated under the guise of legitimate medical tourism, using social media to connect with prospective donors and recipients.

To maintain a veneer of legality, the criminals fabricated “No Objection Certificates” and created fake family trees to present donors as close relatives of patients, exposing lapses in hospital authorisation committees’ vetting processes.

Rights panel intervention

In response to these developments, the NHRC has issued notices to the Delhi Government and Delhi Police, demanding more stringent monitoring of transplant centres.

Public health experts note that while India has reached record numbers of legal transplants in 2024 and 2025, the massive gap between organ demand and supply from deceased donors continues to fuel the black market. Authorities are now pushing for the establishment of a dedicated State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (SOTTO) in Delhi to improve transparency and ensure that every transplant is conducted ethically and within the bounds of the law.

Changing nature of trafficking

The nature of these crimes is also shifting, with many trafficking cases now being reclassified as kidnappings, which may contribute to lower reported figures.

Experts say the situation is no longer as straightforward as it once was. Some workers in brothels, for instance, are now sent by their families or arrive voluntarily rather than being abducted.