Abduction cases on the rise in city

NASHIK: Cases of abduction has witnessed a sharp in the city with 49 cases registered until November this year, compared to 28 cases during the corresponding period last year.
In November alone, the city police have registered 26 cases against four in November 2013. However, of late, there have not been a noticeable number of cases in which there has been a demand for ransom.
The police said that the sudden rise in the number of cases was due to the instruction from the government that all missing cases of children below 18 years of age be classified as abduction cases. A circular in this regard was issued by the government on November 10. Following the circular, the police had checked the missing cases in which children in the age-group of 14 to 18 years were identified, contacted the parents or relatives to find if the concerned children had come home or if they were in contact with them. The children, who were untraceable, were registered as kidnapped, said inspector Ashok Bhagat of the crime branch.
Earlier, the missing case of anyone below the age of 14 years was registered as abduction and those above 14 years were registered as missing.
Senior police officials said that in most of the cases the relatives of the missing person did not bother to inform the police if the person returned home or got in touch with them.
After the circular last month, the police had taken up a drive to check the missing persons in the age-group of 14 to 18 years. The drive revealed that, of the 40 cases of missing persons in the concerned age-group, 20 had reached home or were in contact with their parents and relatives.