Delhi Police reunites 1,440 missing children with families in three months

The Delhi Police has reunited 1,440 missing children with their families in the last three months, officials said on Tuesday. Delhi Police Commissioner S N Shrivastava had issued directions and laid down an action plan for tracing missing children and reuniting them with their families.

"On August 7, Shrivastava had announced the grant of additional incentives, including out-of-turn promotion, for any constable or head constable who rescues 50 or more missing children below the age of 14 years...within a period of 12 months," Delhi Police Public Relations Officer Eish Singhal said. At least 15 of the children should be aged less than eight years, he said.

Also, Asadharan Karya Puraskar was announced for any constable or head constable who rescues 15 or more missing children below the age of 14 years -- five out of them aged less than eight years -- within a period of 12 months, Singhal said. Thereafter, a special drive was carried out by all police districts in the last three months to trace the children reported missing from various parts of the national capital, police said.

From January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2019, a total of 5,412 children went missing and the police managed to trace 3,336 missing children, they said. "From January 1, 2020 to October 31, a total of 3,507 children went missing and 2,629 children were traced. The recovery percentage was 74.96 per cent. After special incentives were announced, the Delhi Police traced 1,440 missing children, including those who had gone missing earlier, whereas only 1,222 children went missing during the period. The recovery rate was 117.83 per cent," Singhal added..