Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): An average of one minor girl goes missing every day in Bhopal, with more than 1,500 girls reported abducted or missing over the past four years.
A significant gap between the number of children who disappear and those rescued has left hundreds of families searching for their daughters.
According to police records, 314 children, including girls, were rescued during Operation Muskan 2025.
However, families of many missing girls continue to move from one place to another in search of them.
In several cases, relatives have put up posters at public places and even announced rewards in the hope of tracing their daughters.
More than 13 cases of abduction of minor girls have been registered till July 10 this year alone.
Cases have been reported from Ratibad, Piplani, Hanumanganj, MP Nagar, Bagsewania, TT Nagar, Kolar and Gautam Nagar police station areas.
Families allege that police often fail to pursue cases after registering kidnapping complaints.
While some girls are traced through active investigations, many cases reportedly see little progress beyond the registration of an FIR.
Police action appears to intensify mainly during special drives such as Operation Muskan, during which police revisit old cases and launch search operations.
Police officials, however, maintain that investigations into cases involving minors begin immediately after abduction cases are registered.
They claim that rescue operations are carried out throughout the year and are not limited to Operation Muskan.
Abduction records
Police records show that 392 cases of abduction of minor girls were registered in 2023.
The number rose to 484 in 2024 before declining to 440 in 2025. In the first five months of 2026 alone, 180 such cases have already been registered.
Belong to weaker sections
Most of the abducted or missing girls belong to the 14-17 age group and come from economically weaker sections or slum areas.
Police sources said that a majority of the cases eventually turn out to be linked to love relationships, while some girls leave home following family disputes or reprimands.
Police sources also claimed that in many cases, families do not report when the girl returns on her own.
