New Delhi — More than 700 women and children disappeared in Delhi during the first two weeks of 2026, according to police data that has alarmed human rights advocates and renewed urgent questions about women's safety in India's capital.
The figures—509 women and 191 minors reported missing between January 1 and January 14—represent an alarming spike that authorities have struggled to explain. While some of those reported missing have since been located, the sheer scale of disappearances in such a short period has focused attention on systemic failures in protecting vulnerable populations.
Police records obtained by the Economic Times show that missing persons reports have become disturbingly routine in Delhi, a city of more than 20 million people. But the concentration of cases in the new year has raised questions about whether this represents a genuine increase, improved reporting, or both.
To understand today's headlines, we must look at yesterday's decisions. India has struggled with endemic issues of women's safety for decades, but the problem gained international attention after the brutal gang rape and murder of a student in Delhi in 2012—a case that sparked nationwide protests and prompted legislative reforms. Despite those changes, violence against women and human trafficking remain persistent problems.
"These numbers are staggering, but they're likely the tip of the iceberg," said Ranjana Kumari, director of the Centre for Social Research in Delhi. "Many families, particularly from marginalized communities, don't report disappearances because they have no faith that police will investigate seriously."
The reasons behind the disappearances are complex and varied. Police officials say many cases involve women leaving abusive households, adolescents running away from home, or migrants moving for work without informing family members. But human rights advocates emphasize darker possibilities: human trafficking, forced marriage, and exploitation.
India is both a source and destination for human trafficking, with women and children trafficked for forced labor, sexual exploitation, and forced marriage. Delhi, as a major urban center with significant transient population, is a hub for trafficking networks that operate across state lines.
"Not every missing person case is trafficking, but we know trafficking is a significant factor," said Rishi Kant, an anti-trafficking activist who has worked on hundreds of cases. "The problem is that investigations are often perfunctory. If a woman is an adult, police assume she left voluntarily. If she's poor or from a marginalized caste, they assume she doesn't matter."
The data shows troubling patterns. Disappearances are concentrated in areas with large migrant populations, where social networks are weaker and oversight limited. Many of the missing are domestic workers, a category of employment that remains largely unregulated and where exploitation is common.
Delhi Police officials have defended their response, noting that the majority of missing persons are eventually located. A spokesperson said the department has formed special teams to investigate trafficking and has improved coordination with other states. But critics argue that the high number of disappearances itself indicates systemic failures in prevention.
"Prevention requires addressing root causes: poverty, lack of education, social marginalization," said Vrinda Grover, a human rights lawyer who has represented victims of sexual violence. "Instead, we have a reactive system that's overwhelmed and under-resourced."
The issue intersects with broader debates about women's safety in India. Despite legal reforms and public awareness campaigns, sexual violence remains alarmingly common. The National Crime Records Bureau reported over 30,000 rape cases in 2022, though activists say the true number is far higher due to underreporting.
Delhi has earned the unfortunate moniker "rape capital" of India, a designation that reflects both the city's high rate of reported sexual violence and the attention such cases receive. But the problem is nationwide, rooted in deeply entrenched gender inequality and patriarchal social structures.
For families searching for missing loved ones, the statistics offer little comfort. Radha Sharma, whose 16-year-old daughter disappeared from a Delhi neighborhood in early January, described her frustration with the police response.
"They treated it like she ran away, as if that's normal," Sharma told local media. "My daughter is a child. She didn't run away. Someone took her. But police acted like I was wasting their time."
Her daughter was eventually found three days later in another state, having been lured with a job offer that turned out to be a trafficking scheme. She was fortunate; many others are never located, or are found only after months or years of exploitation.
The concentration of disappearances in the new year may also reflect seasonal factors. January follows the winter harvest in rural areas, a time when economic pressures peak and families may be more vulnerable to traffickers' promises of urban employment. The new year also coincides with wedding season in some communities, when demand for forced marriages and dowry-related exploitation increases.
Experts are calling for a comprehensive response that goes beyond policing. Recommendations include strengthening labor protections for domestic workers, improving education and economic opportunities for marginalized communities, and ensuring that missing persons investigations are taken seriously regardless of the victim's social status.
"Every missing person is someone's daughter, someone's child," said Kumari from the Centre for Social Research. "Until we treat them that way—until we demand accountability and systemic change—these numbers will keep growing."
For India, a country striving to present itself as a modern, progressive democracy, the disappearances in its capital city are a stark reminder of how far it has to go in protecting its most vulnerable citizens.
