Mumbai, Feb 01: The disappearance of minor children has emerged as a serious and alarming crisis in India’s financial capital, Mumbai. The search for missing children has intensified across city streets, slum clusters, railway stations and bus depots, as fresh data reveals that 12 minor children went missing within the last 36 hours from the jurisdictions of seven different police stations in the city. Of these, eight are girls.
Based on complaints filed by parents and guardians, FIRs have been registered against 12 unidentified persons under Section 137(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) on suspicion of kidnapping. These incidents have further strengthened concerns about the presence of organised child trafficking networks operating in the city.
While Mumbai Police have assured families that all possible efforts are being made to trace the children safely, the rising number of such cases has raised serious concerns among child rights activists and law enforcement agencies.
Trafficking angle under probe
Police suspect that human trafficking could be a major factor behind several of the disappearances. While some cases may be linked to family disputes or children running away from home, the consistent rise in numbers and the higher proportion of missing girls point towards the involvement of organised gangs.
Experts say that in a megacity like Mumbai, slum areas, crowded markets, railway stations and bus terminals have become vulnerable hotspots where children can be easily targeted. In response, Mumbai Police have gone into alert mode, intensifying CCTV surveillance, foot patrols and technical monitoring. While some children are traced quickly, investigations in the remaining cases are ongoing.
Police station-wise cases
According to police records, missing children have been reported from Shivaji Nagar (four cases), Sakinaka (two cases), Antop Hill (two cases), and Oshiwara, Mankhurd, Bangur Nagar and Ghatkopar (one case each).
Police sources said that no ransom calls have been received by any of the families so far, which they described as a positive sign. Investigators said the primary focus remains the immediate safety of the children.
A city-wide search operation has been launched, with photographs of the missing children circulated at busy markets, public gardens, railway stations, bus depots, hospitals, children’s homes and other public places.
Rising missing children data
According to Mumbai Police records, 145 children went missing between June and December 2025, of whom 93 were girls. Between November 1 and December 6, a total of 82 cases were registered, with older adolescents accounting for more than half of the missing children.
These included 41 girls and 13 boys below the age of 18. Police noted that in several cases, children were traced and safely reunited with their parents.
Recent missing children cases
● Oshiwara: A 14-year-old schoolboy left home for class but did not return, his 46-year-old father reported.
● Antop Hill: A 12-year-old boy went to play in a garden and never returned, according to his 32-year-old mother.
● Mankhurd: A 15-year-old boy left home to visit a neighbour but did not return, his 50-year-old father said.
● Bangur Nagar: A 17-year-old girl went out to buy wafers but did not return, her 50-year-old father reported.
● Antop Hill: A 15-year-old girl went out on an errand and went missing, her 55-year-old grandmother said.
● Shivaji Nagar: A 12-year-old boy was found missing when his 38-year-old father returned home from work.
● Shivaji Nagar: A 17-year-old boy left home angrily after an argument over money and did not return, his 35-year-old mother said.
● Shivaji Nagar: A 17-year-old girl went missing while her mother was away dropping younger children to school, said her 45-year-old mother.
● Shivaji Nagar: An 8-year-old boy went to play in a garden and did not return, his 22-year-old brother reported.
● Ghatkopar: A 17-year-old girl left home for tuition but never returned, said her 55-year-old mother.
● Sakinaka: A 14-year-old girl was at home when her father left for work but did not return later, said her 45-year-old father.
● Sakinaka: A 16-year-old student went to get photocopies but did not return home, her 36-year-old mother reported.
Also Watch:
Month-wise missing children data (2025)
● June: 26 children (all girls)
● July: 25 children (15 boys, 10 girls)
● August: 19 children (five boys, 14 girls)
● September: 21 children (six boys, 15 girls)
● October: 19 children (12 boys, seven girls)
● November: 24 children (nine boys, 15 girls)
● December: 11 children (five boys, six girls)
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