On May 22, 2026, India’s Supreme Court mandated that all police stations nationwide must file a First Information Report (FIR) for every missing person or child. This directive aims to tackle the pressing issue of child trafficking and the alarming number of untraced children in the country.
The court expressed grave concern over the 47,000 children who remain untraced across India. It emphasized the need for immediate registration of FIRs without preliminary inquiries or reliance on guardians to initiate searches. The FIRs must include relevant sections under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita concerning kidnapping.
A bench comprising Justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and R. Mahadevan highlighted the seriousness of the issue, referencing a case from Tamil Nadu where a child has been missing since 2011. The court’s directions include transferring cases to anti-human trafficking units if trafficking is suspected.
The decision follows recommendations from a committee led by Justice (retd) Mukta Gupta, which proposed a national standard operating procedure for missing children cases. The committee suggested mandatory Aadhaar verification for rescued children to expedite their identification and reunification with families.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has been directed to establish a national data grid linking all police stations to address human trafficking and missing persons efficiently. The court’s ruling underscores the need for proactive police action and collaboration across state agencies to combat this pervasive issue.
Published in SouthAsianDesk, May 23, 2026
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