Bhopal: Raising severe concerns over the safety of women and children in Madhya Pradesh, official data tabled in the State Assembly has revealed that over 61,000 girls went missing in the state over the past five years. While police have managed to rescue a vast majority, 3,241 girls still remain untraceable as of May 31, 2026.
The shocking statistics were presented by the state government in a written response by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav to a question raised by Congress MLA Ajay Arjun Singh. According to the official records, a total of 61,112 girls disappeared across the state during this five year period.
A closer analysis of the official figures exposes a deeply troubling trend. On average, 33 girls have gone missing every single day in Madhya Pradesh over the last five years. The situation was particularly alarming in 2025, which saw the highest annual spike with 13,146 girls reported missing. The ongoing year shows no signs of significant improvement, with 6,309 girls already reported missing in just the first five months between January and May 2026.
Despite the grim numbers, the state police administration highlighted their recovery efforts. Including previous pending cases, law enforcement agencies successfully traced and safely recovered 61,498 girls during the same period. However, the government assured the Assembly that search operations remain actively underway for the 3,241 girls who are still missing.
In response to the alarming disappearance rates, the state administration detailed the measures taken to combat the issue. Following Supreme Court directives, an FIR under kidnapping charges is immediately registered at the concerned police station whenever a minor is reported missing.
To tackle human trafficking and ensure the safe return of missing children, the state has actively implemented Operation Muskaan. Special awareness and safety campaigns like Srijan for adolescent girls and Abhimanyu for boys are also being conducted. Furthermore, Anti Human Trafficking Units have been established across all 52 districts in specialized women police stations, operating under the state level Anti Human Trafficking Bureau. Authorities also confirmed that monthly review meetings are held at both district and state levels to monitor the recovery of missing girls and strictly curb trafficking crimes.