2,264 missing women, girls remain untraced: Maha govt

Mumbai: During the last five years, more than 26,000 females went missing from Mumbai alone, of which, 24,444 were found while 2,264 are yet to be traced, according to the Maharashtra government data.

The data was produced by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis in a written reply to a query by Congress MLAs in the Legislative Assembly. The monsoon session of the state legislature is being held in the state’s second capital, Nagpur.

Mr Fadnavis, who also holds the home portfolio, said, “A total 26,708 women, including 5,056 minor girls, had gone missing from 2013-17, of which 24,444 were found. However, 2,264 of them are yet to be traced.”

Among the 26,708 women who went missing, 21,652 women were aged above 18. Of these 21,652, 19,686 were found. The figures exhibit an increasing number of minor girls going missing since 2015, and a consistent rise in the number of women aged above 18 going missing since 2013.

Mr Fadnavis clarified that as per the Supreme Court directive in May 2013, all missing complaints pertaining to minors should be registered as kidnapping and not missing complaints. Hence, the data shows an increasing trend.

Mr Fadnavis said that in the case of minors, three offences had been registered at city police stations for kidnapping with the intent to make these persons beg for money.

Of the three offences, two accused had been convicted while one had been acquitted.

In case of women aged over 18, 11 offences had been registered for using women to perform immoral acts. Of the 11, 10 were subjudice, Mr Fadnavis said.

When asked to comment, Leader of the Opposition, Dhananjay Munde (NCP), said, “We have been demanding a full-time home minister for the last four years. The chief minister is busy with party activities most of the time and making some announcement or the other in the remaining time. In the process, issues like law and order, safety of women etc. have taken a backseat.”