On Friday, Delhi Police gave a strong counter to viral social media trends and misinformation suggesting a recent spurt in missing girls in the national capital territory. The police claimed that this narrative is being artificially blown out of proportion through paid promotions for money.
As per a report by the Hindustan Times, Delhi Police, in a statement, said, “After following a few leads, we discovered that the hype around the surge in missing girls in Delhi is being pushed through paid promotion. Creating panic for monetary gains won't be tolerated, and we'll take strict action against such individuals.”
January data shows no unusual spike
Sharing official figures, the police stated that there were 1,777 people reported missing in Delhi in January of 2026, which is less than our normal monthly average over the past two years.
Their statistics indicate that in 2024, Delhi recorded 24,893 missing persons, while in 2025, the figure was 24,508. On average, January 2026 does not indicate a spike, as the social media reports claim.
After following a few leads, we discovered that the hype around the surge in missing girls in Delhi is being pushed through paid promotion. Creating panic for monetary gains won't be tolerated, and we'll take strict action against such individuals.
— Delhi Police (@DelhiPolice) February 6, 2026
The clarification comes amid anxiety triggered by figures from the first half of January, which showed that on average, 54 reports of missing people were made every day. There was a warning that such data observed within very short periods might be misleading.
What counts as a ‘missing’ case
Responding to public concern, Delhi police clarified that the statistics for missing persons contained a range of different circumstances, and many of these concerned temporary situations. These included a child returning home late from school or a woman being unreachable on the telephone.
The capital uses an online and app-based system to register missing-person reports, allowing citizens to file complaints quickly as a precautionary step. “Many such cases are traced quickly but still appear in official statistics, as parents do not report tracing of children/persons,” police said.
Officials also stressed that detection rates tend to improve as investigations progress. As a result, early figures may appear high but usually stabilise as people are located and cases closed.
Police data shows that reports about missing people as of January 2026 remain low and are below the monthly average since 2024, suggesting no real trend that should spark concern.
How Delhi compares globally
To put the numbers in perspective, the police cited comparative data showing Delhi’s missing-person rate is lower than several global benchmarks. Delhi is currently at 122 per 100,000, while London/UK is at 254 per 100,000, and the United States is at 138 per 100,000.
