New Delhi: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report, highlighting missing children cases in the country.
According to the report, Bihar registers 12,000 to 14,000 missing person cases every year since 2013, many of them children, with barely two-thirds of the missing children recovered.
Separately, data from the National Crime Records Bureau shows that the maximum cases of human trafficking are reported in Odisha, Bihar, Telangana, and Maharashtra.
Odisha tops the list for trafficking of minor boys, while Rajasthan records the highest number of minor girls trafficked, the report noted. Missing children are reportedly forced into begging, child labour, prostitution, and other illegal activities.
The NHRC observed that if the report is accurate, it raises serious human rights concerns, according to an official statement. Despite measures taken by the state governments, the number of missing children continues to rise, with only a fraction traced.
Consequently, the Commission has issued notices to the Chief Secretaries and Director Generals of Police of Odisha, Bihar, Telangana, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan, asking for a detailed report within two weeks.
The states have been asked to provide information on steps taken or proposed to address the growing number of missing persons, particularly children. The NHRC has also requested the latest NCRB data on missing persons in these states to ensure proper monitoring and action.
