20 children kidnapped every day in Delhi, mostly forced into flesh trade, domestic service

When 15-year-old Tara Juneja (name changed) went missing from the cramped lanes of south Delhi's Malviya Nagar, her father wasted little time in reporting the matter to police, aware that the Capital has a reputation of swallowing up the young and many are never found.

After speaking to her schoolmates, relatives and other peer groups, cops realised that she was friends with two men on a social networking site. The search narrowed and help was sought from authorities in other states. The two men from Jammu were finally tracked down and Tara, who had been pushed into prostitution at a brothel in West Bengal's Siliguri city, was rescued.

Despite the ordeal, Tara and her family could consider themselves fortunate. According to data from Delhi Police and the ministry of women and child development, as many as 20 children on an average go missing in the national Capital every day. And only 30 per cent of the kids are reunited with their families. The rest remain untraced. Of the 20 children, only one or two go missing on their own.

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Despite CCTV cameras keeping an eye on the roads and a hi-tech police force guarding the residents, Delhi has become a hub of kidnappers both as a transit and destination point, sources said. "The physical appearance is a key factor in demand and supply of the kids," they added. "The best-looking child has always gained better clientele."

The alarming figures have failed to prod cops into urgency. A missing complaint is registered under section 366 (kidnapping) of the Indian Penal Code, but investigations are often fumbling and lead nowhere.

Since 2013, as many as 29,663 children (below 18 years of age) have gone missing in the city and Delhi Police have failed to trace 19,832 of them, data show. "Most of the children are kidnapped from outside their home, parks, bus stands, and railway stations," said a senior police officer. "In a majority of cases, they are pushed into child labour, flesh trade, domestic service or begging racket. However, in some cases the child is kidnapped for ransom."

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Experts say social media could play a pivotal role in the search for missing children, as it would mean faster reporting.

Rishi Kant, an activist from the NGO Shakti Vahini, said, "In most of the kidnapping or missing cases, organised rackets are behind these acts. There is an agent who asks the abductor to arrange a particular number of children. After setting the target, the children are kidnapped from different areas. Later, they are handed over to another person who concludes the deal."

Quoting a 12-year-old victim's statement who wakidnapped from Chandni Chowk area, an NGO which rescued her told Mail Today that she was abducted and drugged. When she recovered after nearly a week, she realised she had been forced into prostitution. After ten months, she was rescued along with other trafficked girls from Uttar Pradesh.

According to Delhi Police, when a case related to missing children is reported, the department informs the CBI and shares the profile of the victim. The central agency then informs all DCPs of other states. Delhi Police also uploads the details of the victim on the Zonal Integrated Police Network, or ZIPNET.

Anti-human trafficking units have been formed in each district and the crime branch has formulated standard operating procedures in case of missing children that mandates prompt registration of an FIR.

Recent data shows that out of 6,921 missing children reported in 2016, a total of 5,467 are in the age group of 12-18, while 712 are from 0-8. The remaining 742 are between 8 and 12 years of age.