Supreme Court Cracks Down on Missing Children Cases: Asks Centre—Is Organized Network Active Nationwide?

Published on: 10 Feb 2026 at 05:37 PM

Published by: thefactnews

Supreme Court Cracks Down on Missing Children Cases: Asks Centre—Is Organized Network Active Nationwide?

New Delhi: February 10, 2026

The Supreme Court took a stern stance on rising child disappearances across India, directing the Centre to probe deeply if a nationwide organized crime network is behind them.

Court’s Key Observations and Directives:

Network Investigation: Justices B.V. Nagarathna and Ujwal Bhuyan emphasized determining if these are isolated incidents or follow a specific pattern.
States’ Slack Response: Hearing revealed nearly a dozen states haven’t shared missing children data yet. The court expressed strong displeasure and warned of strict action against negligent states.
6-Year Data Mandate: Government must compile full details of the past six years and upload them on the Women and Child Development Ministry website.
Rescued Children’s Interviews: Court suggested interviewing recovered children to uncover criminals’ modus operandi and gang networks.

Shocking Statistics:

An NGO report states one child goes missing in India every 8 minutes, highlighting the grave child safety crisis.

The court instructed the Home Ministry to coordinate with all states for a robust child-tracking system. The bench made clear no laxity will be tolerated in protecting innocent children.