Delhi Police warns of 'strict action' over reports claiming surge in missing girls

The Delhi Police on Friday warned of strict action against those using "paid promotion" to create "hype" over reports of missing girls, saying that attempts to create panic for monetary gains won't be tolerated. According to official Delhi Police data accessed by PTI, a total of 807 people went missing between January 1 and 15, with an average of 54 people going missing every day. Of these, 509 were women and girls, and 298 were men. Among the total reported missing, 191 were minors and 616 were adults. The Delhi police said in a post on X, "After following a few leads, they discovered that the hype around the surge in missing girls in Delhi was pushed through paid promotion. Creating panic for monetary gains won't be tolerated, and we'll take strict action against such individuals."

After following a few leads, we discovered that the hype around the surge in missing girls in Delhi is being pushed through paid promotion. Creating panic for monetary gains won't be tolerated, and we'll take strict action against such individuals.

— Delhi Police (@DelhiPolice) February 6, 2026

The police said that 1,777 missing cases were reported in January, which was lower than the monthly average as well as the year-ago month. In comparison, 24,508 missing cases were recorded in 2025, or an average of 2,042 cases per month. Therefore, the January figure was "proportionately lower", police said, indicating there is no emerging trend in missing cases. The annual missing figures have been around 23,000-24,000, showed police data since 2016, despite a population boom in the capital.