PIL in Delhi HC expresses concern on ‘surge’ in missing persons cases

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought the stand of the Centre, the city government and police on a PIL expressing concern on the “surge” in the number of missing persons in the capital.

A bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia asked if a similar plea is pending in the Supreme Court and listed the matter for hearing on February 18.

The petition, filed by NGO Freedom Reclaimed, says there is an “unprecedented crisis” in Delhi, with reports of more than 800 persons going missing in the first 15 days of 2026.

The petitioner has asserted that the “right to be found” is an inextricable facet of the right to life and personal liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution, and there is a “structural collapse in preventive policing and investigative efficacy” as the figures show that the disappearances are no longer isolated incidents.

“The current situation is of such grave and mounting concern that it necessitates this Hon’ble court to look beyond the ‘procedural formalities’ of a standard investigation. The petitioner highlights that the alarming rate of 800 disappearances in a fortnight points toward a flourishing ecosystem for organised crime, human trafficking and other grave organised criminal activities, all of which thrive in the shadow of the respondent’s failure to implement a time-bound, technologically-driven investigative protocol,” the petition filed through lawyer Abhishek Tiwari says.

It says according to the data published by the Delhi Police on its website, titled “Statement of Missing Persons in Delhi (Manual-17/4158)”, “the official record goes up to a total of 2,32,737 persons reported missing in Delhi between the years 2016 and 15.01.2026, out of which 52,326 persons continue to remain ‘untraced’ till date”.

“Disturbingly, this figure includes 6,931 missing children (below 18 years) who remain untraced, thereby constituting a continuing and collective violation of the fundamental right to life, dignity and personal liberty guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution of India,” the plea says.

It alleges that in spite of a comprehensive legal framework governing missing-persons investigations, including directions of the Supreme Court, standing orders issued under the Delhi Police Act and standard operating procedures notified by the Ministry of Home Affairs, there is “chronic administrative inertia”.

The critical “Golden Hour” following a disappearance is routinely ignored, the plea says, adding that complaints are met with procedural hesitation, leading to a delay in the registration of FIRs.

The petition has sought directions to authorities to ensure strict implementation of its protocols in every missing-person case.

Besides other reliefs, it has also prayed for a direction to the city government and police commissioner to constitute a high-level coordination committee for a periodic cross-verification of missing-person records with the data relating to unidentified patients in government hospitals and unidentified bodies in mortuaries.