J&K reports 16,397 missing women and girls since 2019; 4,271 untraced
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New Delhi: More than 4,200 women and girls reported missing in Jammu and Kashmir since 2019 remain untraced, according to figures obtained by The Tribune through a Right to Information (RTI) request.
The data show that 16,397 women and girls went missing during the period, of whom 12,126 have been traced, leaving 4,271 cases unresolved.
Among adult women, 14,593 were reported missing between 2019 and June 2026. Of these, 11,338 were traced, while 3,255 remain unaccounted for.
The figures for minor girls cover the period from 2019 to August 2026. Of the 1,804 reported missing, 788 were found, while 1,016 remain untraced. This means more than half of the missing minor girls have yet to be located.
The year 2025 recorded 2,595 missing adult women, the highest annual figure in the period covered, according to the report. Of these, 493 remain untraced. Among girls reported missing that year, 166 are still unaccounted for.
The figures were provided by the Jammu and Kashmir Home Department, which oversees policing in the Union Territory under the Union government’s control.
The report also cited National Crime Records Bureau data showing that 1,202 cases involving the kidnapping or abduction of women to compel marriage were registered under Section 87 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita in 2024.