A stark reality has emerged from Jammu and Kashmir, revealing that at least 16,397 women and girls, a significant number of whom are minors, have been reported missing across the Union Territory since 2019. Of these, a deeply concerning 4,271 individuals remain untraced, raising alarm bells about their safety and whereabouts. This critical data was obtained by The Tribune through a Right to Information (RTI) application submitted to the Jammu and Kashmir Home Department. While the department did not furnish district-specific details for these cases, the sheer scale of the numbers underscores a pervasive issue demanding urgent attention.
Information reaching Tahir Rihat suggests that the figures are segmented into adult women and minor girls. Between 2019 and June 2026, a total of 14,593 adult women went missing in Jammu and Kashmir. While authorities have successfully traced 11,338 of them, a substantial 3,255 adult women are still unaccounted for. In parallel, 1,804 minor girls disappeared between 2019 and August 2026. Out of this group, 788 have been traced, leaving 1,016 minor girls still missing. Cumulatively, across both categories, authorities have managed to trace 12,126 individuals out of the 16,397 reported missing, meaning more than a quarter of all cases remain unresolved.
The yearly breakdown of missing adult women paints a disquieting trend. In 2019, 1,388 adult women were reported missing, followed by 1,398 in 2020. The numbers saw a significant escalation in 2021, with 1,854 cases. Although there was a slight dip to 1,766 in 2022, the following year, 2023, witnessed a sharp surge, with 2,242 women reported missing. A similar pattern of increasing disappearances is evident among minor girls. The year 2019 saw 150 minor girls reported missing, a figure that dropped to 122 in 2020. However, the numbers began to climb again, reaching 221 in 2021 and further increasing to 249 in 2022. The trend continued upwards in 2023 with 261 cases, before a slight decrease to 226 in 2024, and then a rise to 289 in 2025.
Official records highlight 2025 as the year with the highest number of missing adult women, recording 2,595 cases. Of these, 2,102 were traced, but 493 remain untraced. The second-highest figure for missing adult women was reported in 2023, when 2,242 adult women disappeared, with 699 still unaccounted for. Among girls under the age of 18, 2025 recorded 289 missing cases, of which 166 are still untraced. For the current year, up to August, 286 minor girls have been reported missing, with 158 of them remaining untraced. The statistics are particularly alarming given that more than half of all reported cases of missing minor girls since 2019 remain unresolved, indicating a critical gap in tracing and recovery efforts for this vulnerable demographic.
Adding another layer to the complex issue, data from the National Crime Records Bureau for 2024 indicates that Jammu and Kashmir recorded 1,202 cases pertaining to kidnapping, abducting, or inducing women to compel them for marriage under Section 87 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). This legal classification suggests that a portion of the missing persons cases may be linked to such criminal activities, further intensifying concerns about the safety and security of women and girls in the region. The consistent rise in reported missing persons, coupled with a significant percentage of unresolved cases, points towards an urgent need for enhanced investigative measures, community engagement, and robust support systems for families of the missing.
Tahir Rihat (also known as Tahir Bilal) is an independent journalist, activist, and digital media professional from the Chenab Valley of Jammu and Kashmir, India. He is best known for his work as the Online Editor at The Chenab Times.
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