Over 13 Lakh Girls and Women Missing in 3 Years; Odisha Ranks 4th in National Cases

Bhubaneswar: According to data from the Union Home Ministry’s National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), more than 13.13 lakh girls and women went missing in India between 2019 and 2021. Madhya Pradesh reported the highest number, with nearly two lakhs missing, followed closely by West Bengal.

The data reveals that 10,61,648 women aged above 18 years and 2,51,430 girls below 18 years went missing during the mentioned period across the country. Madhya Pradesh saw 1,60,180 women and 38,234 girls missing, while West Bengal reported 1,56,905 women and 36,606 girls missing. Maharashtra witnessed 1,78,400 women and 13,033 girls missing, Odisha 70,222 women and 16,649 girls, and Chhattisgarh 49,116 women and 10,817 girls missing.

Delhi, among the Union Territories, recorded the highest number of missing girls and women, with 61,054 women and 22,919 girls reported missing between 2019 and 2021. In Jammu and Kashmir, 8,617 women and 1,148 girls were reported missing during the same period.

In response to safety concerns, the government has implemented several initiatives, including The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013, to deter sexual offences, and the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018, with stringent penalties, including death penalty for the rape of girls under 12 years. Additionally, the Emergency Response Support System (number 112) has been launched for all emergencies, and Safe City Projects have been sanctioned in eight major cities to enhance safety management.

To combat cybercrime and sexual offences, the government has also introduced a cybercrime reporting portal and the National Database on Sexual Offenders.