Over 93,000 adult women went missing in Maharashtra in 2yrs
What's the story
In Maharashtra, over 93,000 adult women went missing in the past two years. The Devendra Fadnavis-led government revealed this alarming statistic in a written reply to the Assembly on February 24. On average, this translates to about 129 adult women disappearing every day. While around 72% of these cases have been resolved and the women traced, thousands remain unaccounted for each year.
Yearly data
Disturbing trend of missing women
In 2024, a total of 45,662 adult women went missing in Maharashtra. Out of these, 30,877 were traced. The same year also saw 11,316 minor girls reported missing, with 8,475 being found. The situation worsened in 2025 when the number of missing adult women rose to 48,278, and approximately 75.8% (36,581) were traced.
Special initiative
Operation Muskaan launched to trace missing children
To tackle the issue of missing persons, the Maharashtra government has been running "Operation Muskaan" since July 2015. This special drive focuses on tracing missing children and reuniting them with their families. Till 2024, 13 phases of "Operation Muskaan" were conducted across the state. The ongoing 14th phase has already traced 454 boys and 947 girls between its launch and February 16, 2026.
Teen tracking
What about teenagers?
The government also provided data on teenagers aged between 15 and 18. Between 2024 and 2025, a total of 4,989 boys and girls in this age group were reported missing. Of these, 4,813 were traced. Officials say police teams are actively working on these cases with local intelligence, digital tracking, and coordination between districts. To prevent future incidents of people going missing, initiatives like Bharosa centers and Police Kaka-Didi are being implemented to support families and educate children about safety.