Over 1.17 Lakh Women, Girls Reported Missing in Maharashtra; 31,141 Still Untraced

Mumbai: More than 1.17 lakh women and minor girls were reported missing across Maharashtra during 2024 and 2025, with over 31,000 still untraced, according to official data presented in the state Assembly.

Chief Minister and Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis shared the figures in a written response, highlighting both recovery efforts and the continuing challenge faced by law enforcement agencies.

Break-Up of Missing Cases

Government records show that 93,940 adult women were reported missing over the two-year period. Of these, 67,458 have been located and reunited with their families.

In the case of minor girls, 23,429 were reported missing, and 18,770 were successfully traced by the police. However, a combined total of 31,141 women and girls remain unaccounted for, prompting continued investigation efforts.

Higher Recovery Rate in Cities

The data indicates stronger recovery performance in major urban centres. In Mumbai, police managed to trace 4,455 out of 4,515 missing minors. Similarly, in Navi Mumbai, hundreds of missing children were successfully located during the same period.

Officials attribute better results in metropolitan areas to improved surveillance systems, faster coordination, and specialised teams dedicated to missing persons cases.

Operation Muskaan’s Role

The Chief Minister informed the House that under “Operation Muskaan,” a state-wide initiative aimed at rescuing missing and exploited children, over 41,000 children have been recovered between July 2015 and December 2024 across 13 phases.

The 14th phase of the operation, which began on January 20 and is scheduled to continue until February 20, 2026, is currently in progress. So far, 1,401 children have been rescued under this phase alone.

Dedicated Missing Cells in Police Stations

To strengthen response mechanisms, the state has established dedicated Missing Cells in every police station. These units are headed by women police officers to ensure sensitive handling of cases involving women and children.

Additionally, a senior IPS officer of the rank of Additional Director General of Police (ADG) has been assigned supervisory responsibility to monitor progress. Case reviews are conducted every two months to track investigation status and improve accountability.