8 areas in Delhi report most cases of missing children

New Delhi: The Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) has identified eight highly vulnerable areas where most of the missing children cases were reported.

The child rights body said that the most vulnerable children belong to migrant families living in the bordering areas of the city.

The 142-page compendium of missing children released by DCPCR on Wednesday revealed that Narela, Sahbad Dairy, Jaitpur, Vijay Vihar, Khajuri Khas, Dabri, Uttam Nagar, Mehrauli are the areas from where most missing cases were reported.

"After analysing the data of missing children reported in top 20 areas from 2014-2017, it has been found that eight areas in the city are highly vulnerable for missing children," said DCPCR official.

According to the compendium, more than 3,500 children were missing from 2014-2017.

The compendium was prepared under the guidance of Ramesh Negi (chairperson DCPCR) and Samrah Mirza (member DCPCR). Chief Secretary of Delhi, Vijay Kumar Dev released the compendium at Delhi Secretariat.

The compendium further reads that after analysing the data of missing children in the top 20 areas of Delhi, it was found that most of the vulnerable areas are in bordering districts of Delhi and most vulnerable areas are dominated the migrant population.

"Migrant children come from economically weak background. When parents leave their kids alone at home and go for work, kidnappers find them an easy target," said Samrah Mirza, member of DCPCR.

According to DCPCR, they have analysis the missing data from the year 2008 to 2017 and found that an increasing number of children going missing from peripheral districts of Delhi which include Outer, North East, South East, West and South West.

Delhi Police DCsP Rajesh Deo from Crime Branch and Seju P Kuruvilla from Outer district also gave their views on the issue.

"If we treat every missing children as our own kid, it will give a good result in tracing them quickly," said DCP Outer Seju P Kuruvilla.

The compendium contains data, important circulars, judgements, SOPs, facial recognition system, recommendations related to missing children. "Our Bal Suraksha Mitra initiative is also working in various areas in the city. Face to face meetings were also held with the 59 parents whose children have been missing" said DCPCR official.

According to Delhi Police annual report, analysis of reasons behind missing children reveals that in most of the cases children go missing due to reasons like being scolded by parents at home, academic pressure, losing their way, elopement. "Crime Branch and District Police have continued with their efforts to trace the missing children from shelter homes, Railway Stations, Bus Stands etc., under the schemes Operation Smile-II and Operation Muskan-II," reads the report adding that police have acquired Facial Recognition System and integrated it with the missing children and persons.