The Aryavarth Express
New Delhi: The Delhi Police has clarified that there has been no unusual surge in missing person cases in January 2026, and in fact the overall numbers are lower compared to the same month last year, officials said. According to police data, the total number of missing persons registered in the national capital in January 2026 was 1,777, which is below the city’s typical monthly average of around 2,000 cases observed in 2025.
Police said the figures indicate that the situation has not worsened this year and that the apparent rise in reports during the first half of January — when 807 people were recorded as missing — reflects normal reporting patterns rather than a dramatic upturn. The city regularly handles a large number of such cases due to its population size and transient workforce.
Officials highlighted that the Delhi Police continues to work actively on tracing missing individuals through initiatives like Operation Milap and the use of technology such as facial recognition and the ZIPNET system for tracking cases. In January, a number of individuals, including children, were successfully traced and reunited with their families under such drives.
Long-term records show that Delhi has consistently reported tens of thousands of missing person cases annually, with women and girls often making up a significant portion of the figures. In 2025, for example, more than 24,500 cases were recorded in the city, a level that has persisted over recent years.
While the data for early 2026 — including reports of hundreds of missing persons in the first fortnight — has attracted public attention, the police insist the monthly totals do not indicate a sharp increase compared with previous years and that ongoing efforts are underway to locate those who remain untraced.
