Amidst the intensifying political climate surrounding the increasing number of missing girls and women in the state, even Nagpur is facing an alarming situation. Lokmat has acquired data revealing that within a span of four months, more than 20 girls and women have gone missing within the jurisdiction of 11 police stations in the city.
The MIDC and Kalmna police stations have reported the highest number of missing individuals. Although it's important to note that some of these girls have chosen to leave their homes willingly, the concern lies with those who have not been located yet.
From January 1 to April 30, a total of 912 missing persons were reported across different police stations in the city, with 471 of them being women. Among these cases, 36 were related to minor girls who went missing within a span of four months. The initial awareness about this issue was raised by 'Lokmat'.
The reasons behind the girls and women leaving their homes varied. Lokmat obtained police station-wise data which revealed that within four months, 36 girls and women disappeared from the MIDC and Kalmna police station areas. The months of March and April saw a higher number of disappearances compared to January and February. Following these two police stations, Jaripatka and Nandanvan reported 29 missing cases of girls and women. Panchapavli police station reported 28 cases of missing girls and women within a span of 120 days.
During this time, a considerable number of missing individuals were girls who were students, usually around 23 years old. There are many women studying in different colleges. Surprisingly, 209 girls in this age group have disappeared, which raises a lot of questions. The main reasons behind these disappearances are believed to be love affairs, academic pressure, and domestic disputes.
According to sources, over half of the 471 girls and women who went missing were found, and many of them returned home on their own. However, the rest of the missing individuals have not been located yet. The critical concern is what happens to these girls who remain untraced.
By the end of the year, the total count of women who haven't been found is recorded. However, the question of what comes next for them remains unanswered. Between 2016 and 2022, a total of 857 women and girls remained untraced. Now, in a span of seven and a half years, the number of missing girls who have not been found has surpassed 1,000.