Gandhinagar, June 10 (IANS) Gujarat Police traced 1,470 missing persons during a month-long statewide drive named ‘Operation Milap’, including hundreds of women and children, after reopening long-pending cases dating back nearly two decades, officials said on Wednesday.

The special campaign, launched across the state on May 7, was aimed at locating missing persons and reuniting them with their families.

According to police records, 24,767 people have been reported missing in Gujarat since 2007, prompting authorities to undertake a focused review of old and unresolved cases.

Of the 1,470 people traced during the operation, 852 were women, 342 were men, 42 were minor boys and 234 were minor girls.

Surat City Police recorded the highest number of recoveries, tracing 341 missing persons.

The operation involved a comprehensive review of old case files, fresh field verification and the use of technical and intelligence-based inputs.

Police teams examined digital records, monitored social media activity, visited public transport hubs and shelter homes, and re-established contact with complainants and witnesses to generate new leads.

“Although the special drive to trace missing persons has concluded, our efforts will not stop here. Police officers have been instructed to continue working on missing persons cases alongside their regular policing duties,” Gujarat Director General of Police (DGP) G.S. Malik said.

Ajay Choudhary, Additional Director General of Police of CID Crime (Women Cell), said the campaign combined intelligence gathering with technological investigation methods.

“The entire operation was conducted on the basis of technical inputs and intelligence gathering. It included a detailed review of old case records and fresh field verification. Police teams examined digital records, social media activity, public transport hubs and shelter homes. They also reconnected with complainants and witnesses to develop new leads,” he added.

A senior police officer said preliminary findings from the operation showed that adolescent girls formed the largest category among missing persons cases.

“During the special campaign, police traced a large number of missing children and women. The operation also included successes in long-pending cases and recoveries linked to states such as Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Assam, Jharkhand and West Bengal,” the officer added.

Police analysis of the traced cases found that among girls aged between 14 and 17, romantic relationships and incidents of running away from home were among the leading reasons for disappearances.

Other factors identified included parental reprimands, academic failure and domestic disputes.

Authorities also recorded cases involving members of migrant labour families who went missing while relocating for work.

Police said the success of ‘Operation Milap’ was the result of intensive investigations, intelligence collection, mobile phone analysis, coordination with authorities in other states and family counselling efforts.

Police added that investigations into missing persons cases would continue beyond the conclusion of the special campaign.

–IANS

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