G.S. Malik, Director General of Police, Gujarat. File
| Photo Credit: ANI
The Gujarat Police have traced 1,470 missing persons during a month-long statewide drive ‘Operation Milap’, launched on May 7 to review and investigate pending missing persons cases.According to police, a total of 24,767 people have been reported missing in Gujarat since 2007. The operation was aimed at locating missing individuals and reuniting them with their families.Of the 1,470 persons traced during the operation, 852 were women, 342 were men, 42 were minor boys, and 234 were minor girls. Among all police units, Surat City Police recorded the highest number of recoveries, tracing 341 missing persons.The operation was undertaken as part of the Gujarat Police’s broader focus on women’s safety, protection of children and vulnerable persons, action against narcotics networks, identification of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants and issues concerning national security, officials said.“Although the special drive to trace missing persons has concluded, our efforts will not stop here. Police officers have been instructed to continue pursuing missing persons cases alongside their routine policing duties,” said G.S. Malik, Director General of Police, Gujarat.He said tracing missing persons, particularly women and children, remains a priority for the Gujarat police as part of its efforts to protect citizens and ensure their safety and well-being.“The operation was based on both technical and human intelligence inputs and involved a thorough review of old case records along with fresh field-level verification. Police teams examined digital records, social media activity, transport hubs, and shelter homes, while also revisiting complainants and witnesses to gather fresh leads,” said Ajay Choudhary, Additional Director General of Police, CID Crime (Women Cell).A senior police officer said the operation had also helped identify patterns behind missing persons cases in the State.“Operation Milap has revealed important trends behind missing persons cases in Gujarat, with adolescent girls emerging as the most vulnerable group. During the special drive, police traced a large number of missing children and women, including several long-pending cases and recoveries from States such as Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Assam, Jharkhand and West Bengal,” the officer said.Police said analysis of the recovered cases pointed to relationship-related issues and family disputes as among the primary reasons behind disappearances.“Analysis of recovered cases shows that romantic relationships and elopement were the leading reasons behind disappearances, particularly among girls aged 14 to 17 years. Family conflicts, including parental reprimand, educational setbacks and domestic disputes, were also major contributing factors. Migration among labour families further complicated tracing efforts, often resulting in interstate movement,” the officer said.As part of the drive, police reopened and reviewed long-pending cases, including those registered as far back as 2007, resulting in the tracing of several missing persons whose whereabouts had remained unknown for years.Police attributed the success of Operation Milap to field investigations, intelligence gathering, mobile phone analysis, interstate coordination and family counselling. Officials said efforts to trace missing persons would continue after the conclusion of the special drive.EOM/ABH Published - June 10, 2026 03:24 pm IST
