City police launch special drive to find missing kids

Mumbai Police officers said the drive is a necessary initiative due to a number of reasons. The police is currently looking for 3,142 children who have gone missing in the last ten years, including 514 that have gone missing this year.

Calling it an “indigenous priority,” Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Sadanand Date said, “The numbers this year may not be overwhelming, but there are several reasons why this should be be considered as first concern by the police.”

According to police data, the maximum number of missing cases have been registered at zones VI and VII in Mumbai’s east region. Cherring Dorje, additional  commissioner of police (east region) attributed this to the populous nature of the East region.

“A majority of the cases involve runaways, usually between a boy and a girl, which we have to trace. The preliminary inquiry with the friends and family are critical in trying to trace the location of the children,” said Dorje.

The police have also identified the Mahim Dargah as a good place to keep an eye out for missing or runaway children.

Senior police officers have also said that the maximum number of children missing are runaways between the ages of 15 and 18 years.
“They fight with their families and leave them voluntarily. They are rebellious at that age and try and run far away from home,” said Assistant Commissioner of Police Vasant Dhobale, Missing Persons Bureau. Leaving their homes with little or no money, these minors soon fall prey to illegal activities, either by force or as a way to make money.

“We are sending teams with photographs of missing children to the Mahim Dargah, as it offers free food to all, and a lot of runaways flock to the Dargah every day,” said an officer with the Wadala TT police station, which has accounted for the highest number of cases in Zone IV.

“Nine per cent of the total number of children registered missing in the last ten years are still untraced and are suspected to have been attracted to ways to make easy money through illegal means. We believe that they are a part of the begging gangs, prostitution gangs or even organ transplant rackets that provide quick money, as well as street crimes,” said Pravin Patil, deputy commissioner of police (enforcement).

The police said that the children that fall prey to these rackets are mostly below 14 years of age. “While young girls are traditionally kidnapped for prostitution, most boys are kidnapped to do child labour or beg, especially if they have an evident mental or physical impairment,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone III) S Jayakumar.

The police in the Central region — the Byculla to Kurla belt — are particularly sensitive to missing children as the region has Kamathipura in it.

Nearly two week ago, on November 5, the commissioner of Mumbai police Rakesh Maria had announced his latest initiative. “We have begun a special drive to trace missing girls and boys under the age of 18. I have asked the team to go back ten years and track each missing child.” Maria said.

Special teams comprising an officer and at least four constables, were formed to work on the initiative under the supervision of the Police Inspector (Crime) at the police station.

Maria had also offered a cash reward of Rs 10,500 for teams that bust begging or child labour rackets, and Rs 5,000 for every missing child traced.

rohit.alok@expressindia.com