Navi Mumbai: Of the 458 kids who left home in the last 11 months in Navi Mumbai, the primary reason behind their disappearance was love affairs, a data analysis by the Navi Mumbai Police has revealed. Between January 1 and November 29, 2025, a total of 499 minors were reported missing across the commissionerate, of which 458 were successfully traced, while 41 remain untraced.
Police data shows that 349 girls and 150 boys went missing during this period, with the number of missing girls nearly three times higher than that of boys. Officials said a significant number of cases involved emotional stress, strained relationships, online grooming and peer pressure.
Officials added that several girls were influenced through Instagram friend requests, WhatsApp chats and other online interactions, which played a significant role in prompting them to leave home.
Among all police stations in the commissionerate, Turbhe reported the highest number of missing minors at 51, followed by, Rabale that reported 49 cases, Rabale MIDC reported 41, Panvel City 39, Kharghar 33, Koparkhairane 32, Taloja: 31 and NRI reported 30.
Of the 499 cases registered, 25 involved sexual assault on minor girls who were lured or persuaded into leaving home. Offences under the POCSO Act have been registered, and strict action is being taken against the accused.
A senior officer said parents usually approach police when their child remains untraceable for hours.
“During the period when the parents do not know where they are, they approach us. As per the Supreme Court guidelines, whenever a minor goes missing — even if it is a case of running away from home — we have to register a kidnapping case directly and not a missing person’s complaint,” the officer said.
Of the missing minors, 315 missing girls and 143 missing boys were traced. Search operations for the remaining 41 children are ongoing under the supervision of zonal DCPs.
Senior Police Inspector Prithviraj Ghorpade of the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (ABTU) said, “In most missing minor cases, love affairs, family tensions and misuse of mobile phones are recurring factors. We treat each case with utmost sensitivity and use all available technical tools to trace children quickly. Parents must pay attention to their children’s emotional needs, monitor their mobile and social media use, and maintain a positive home atmosphere. Only collective efforts by society and the police can reduce such incidents.”
Police have urged families to stay alert to behavioural changes, online activity, and peer influence, which often serve as early indicators in many missing-child cases.
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