An average of 12 children go missing every day in Haryana—is it just a disappearance or a silent network of organised human trafficking?
When children who leave home don’t return, the question isn’t just “where did they go”—it’s also about who made them disappear. Statistics show that disappearances are no longer an individual tragedy, but a deepening social and criminal crisis.
The rising number of missing persons cases in Haryana is no longer confined to police registers or newspaper headlines. These cases are the untold suffering of thousands of families whose members have left their homes for work, studies, or daily chores and never returned. With an average of 12 children going missing every day and more than 17,500 missing persons cases being filed in 2025, this should be a matter of deep concern for any sensitive society. This situation not only poses a challenge to law and order but also raises serious questions about the social fabric.
The most frightening aspect of missing persons is that they are no longer solely the result of personal disputes, domestic issues, or accidental incidents. Investigations repeatedly indicate that many cases are rooted in organized crimes like human trafficking. According to the police, approximately 75 percent of cases have been traced, but the remaining 25 percent of unsolved cases are the real cause for concern. These are the cases where no trace of the missing person is found and behind which interstate gangs, illegal placement agencies, and networks of economic exploitation operate.
Of particular concern is the fact that women and minor children are becoming the biggest victims of this crisis. Children and youth are lured away from their homes by the promise of better employment, a brighter future, or education. Parents are often compelled to hand their children over to agents they consider trustworthy. That trust ultimately becomes a lifelong regret for the families. Networks linked to states like Bihar, Jharkhand, and Odisha confirm that this problem is not localized, but part of a nationally widespread organized crime.
The cases of over 350 children rescued from begging and child labor in Haryana further expose this truth. These children, seen at intersections, bus stops, and religious sites, are not the result of coincidence. They are brought here as part of a well-planned system, where they are forced to work or beg. A large portion of the earnings goes to gangs or placement agencies, while the children are forced to live in inhumane conditions.
It’s also worth noting that human trafficking is no longer a single crime. Police and investigative agencies believe that crimes like drug trafficking, cybercrime, extortion, and human trafficking are now interconnected. A single network is carrying out multiple illegal activities. This is why missing persons cases are now being investigated from an organized crime perspective. This shift is a step in the right direction, but it requires resources, technology, and political will.
The Haryana Police’s crime control roadmap for 2026 certainly offers a ray of hope. Steps such as strict surveillance of organized criminals, identification and tracking through technology, interstate coordination, and timely investigations are undoubtedly essential. The Director General of Police’s clear message that delays at any level will not be tolerated in cases involving children and women inspires confidence. But the question remains: can administrative strictness alone completely address this deep-seated problem?
The truth is that problems like missing persons and human trafficking cannot be solved solely within the framework of law and order. They are also driven by factors such as poverty, illiteracy, unemployment, and social inequality. When families have limited employment opportunities and the dream of a better life haunts them daily, they often fall into the hands of the wrongdoers. In such a situation, the government’s responsibility cannot be limited to apprehending criminals, but also to changing the conditions that make people vulnerable.
The role of society becomes crucial here. People often remain silent even when they witness missing children or suspicious activity. The thought, “It’s someone else’s business,” emboldens criminals. If suspicious placement agencies are reported in time, children engaged in begging are not ignored, and missing children are immediately reported to the police, many cases can be prevented at the initial stage. Only an aware society can become the strongest bulwark against any crime.
Child rights experts are right to say that freeing children from trafficking is only the first step. The real challenge lies in their rehabilitation, education, and psychological counseling. Trafficked children suffer profound psychological trauma. Without timely, proper care and opportunities, they may fall back into the same dark cycle. Both the government and society must work together to ensure that such children have a safe and dignified future.
The cases of missing persons in Haryana force us to wonder whether, amidst claims of development and economic progress, we are losing sight of human values. This problem isn’t just a game of numbers, but the story of every family that still waits with hope for a doorbell. If this continues to be ignored as merely a news story or an administrative challenge, its cost will be far greater in the years to come.
The need of the hour is to treat missing persons as a crime as well as a humanitarian crisis. The government, the police, society, and citizens—all must understand their respective responsibilities. Only then can we ensure that no child, woman, or citizen goes missing without reason and their families are not forced to wait a lifetime for their loved ones.
