Ascertain if any nationwide network is behind children going missing: Supreme Court to Centre

The Supreme Court on Tuesday (February 10, 2026) asked the Center to ascertain whether there is a nationwide network or a State-specific group behind the cases of missing children in different parts of the country.

A Bench of Justices BV Nagrathna and Ujjal Bhuyan emphasized the need to ascertain whether there is a pattern behind these incidents or whether they are random and asked the Center to collect data from all States.

Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, speaking on behalf of the Centre, said some States have given their data on missing children and prosecution, but around a dozen states have not given their data.

He stated that the analysis can be done only after the Union government receives all the data.

“We want to know if there is a nationwide network or a state-specific group behind these incidents where children are missing. Is this a pattern or just a random incident?” Bench told Ms. Bhati.

The high court suggested to Ms. Bhati that the rescued children should be interviewed to determine who is responsible for such incidents. The board also criticized states that did not provide data and said it could issue tough orders if necessary.

Senior advocate Aparna Bhatt said the Center has taken the initiative and directed to provide data to all States.

The bench was hearing a PIL filed by an NGO called ‘Guria Swayam Sevi Sansthan’, which highlighted the increasing number of untraceable children in various states.

The top court on December 9 directed the Center to submit six years of nationwide data on missing children and appoint a special officer in the Union Home Ministry to ensure effective coordination with states and Union Territories in compiling such data.

The apex court had earlier directed all States and Union Territories to appoint special nodal officers to keep a check on missing child cases and ensure prompt upload of such details on a portal operated by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.

On November 18 last year, the high court had expressed concern over a news report claiming that a child goes missing every eight minutes in the country, describing it as a serious problem. He had said that the adoption process in the country was complex and asked the Center to expedite the mechanism.

The Supreme Court stated that since the adoption process is difficult, this process will definitely be ignored and people resort to illegal means to have children. The Center was earlier requested to create a special online portal under the auspices of the Ministry of Home Affairs to trace missing children and investigate such cases.

The bench had highlighted the lack of coordination among police authorities tasked with tracking down missing children in states and Union territories in the country. It was said that the portal may have a special officer from each State who can be responsible for missing complaints as well as disseminating information.

The NGO had highlighted the unsolved cases of child abduction or missing that had been taken to the apex court, along with actions that needed to be taken based on the information available on the missing/found portal monitored by the Government of India.

The petition made its argument with five cases registered in Uttar Pradesh last year, where underage boys and girls were kidnapped and smuggled to states like Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan through a network of middlemen.