One Child Reported Missing Every Two Days in Chandigarh, Data Shows-Police Trace Over 96% Cases :
PRIME VISTA NEWS
Even as national attention sharpens on the issue of missing children fueled by recent controversies in Delhi and renewed public discussion following the release of the Bollywood film Mardani 3 official data from Chandigarh presents a sobering yet nuanced picture. While the frequency of missing children reports remains concerning, law enforcement response and recovery rates continue to show sustained effectiveness.
According to official figures reviewed by the Chandigarh Administration, 722 children were reported missing in the Union Territory between 2022 and 2025, averaging 181 cases annually, or approximately one child every two days. Officials caution that the actual number may be higher, as several cases are believed to go unreported due to fear, stigma, family pressure, or delayed complaints.
Despite the troubling trend, the data highlights a strong police response. Of the 722 missing children, 690 over 96.5 per cent were traced and reunited with their families, leaving 32 cases currently unresolved. Spread across four years, this translates to the recovery of roughly 173 children annually, or nearly one child every alternate day, underscoring consistent and prompt intervention by the Chandigarh Police.
A year-wise breakdown reveals a steady rise in reported cases, from 155 in 2022 to 185 in 2023, peaking at 195 in 2024, before witnessing a marginal decline to 187 cases in 2025. Notably, the tracing rate remained robust throughout the period, never falling below 93 per cent. In 2022, police traced 151 of 155 children; in 2023, 181 of 185; in 2024, 184 of 195; and in 2025, 174 of 187 children were located.
The data also points to age-specific vulnerability, with adolescents emerging as the most at-risk group. Of the 32 children still missing, half are aged between 16 and 18, followed by those in the 14–15 age bracket. Only four cases involve children below 13, indicating that older minors are particularly vulnerable often due to factors such as peer pressure, emotional distress, online exposure, grooming, and exploitation.
The issue was recently reviewed during a meeting of the UT Administrator’s Advisory Council Standing Committee on Law and Order, chaired by Rajya Sabha MP Satnam Singh Sandhu. The meeting was attended by senior UT officials and police officers, with Chandigarh SSP Kanwardeep Kaur serving as convener. The panel assessed the status of missing and traced children while identifying emerging risks requiring urgent action.
Background:
Earlier, Prime Vista News reported on a viral video capturing a fan’s emotional meeting with Amitabh Bachchan following his Sunday darshan.
Raising concern, Sandhu flagged the widespread presence of beggars across the city, questioning their verification and citing reports of organised gangs allegedly kidnapping vulnerable children and forcing them into begging, labour, and other forms of exploitation. He called for intensified verification drives and coordinated efforts to dismantle such networks.
Reiterating a firm stance, Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria emphasised a zero-tolerance approach. “Every report of a missing child must be treated as an emergency. Chandigarh will not allow any gang or individual to exploit children. Our goal is to trace every missing minor and reunite them with their families at the earliest,” he said.
Echoing this resolve, the SSP said the Chandigarh Police act immediately on every missing child report and maintain close coordination with neighbouring states, given the UT’s proximity to Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. She warned that anyone found exploiting children would face strict legal action, reaffirming the force’s commitment to ensuring the safety of minors.
