Overview
- Justices B. V. Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan directed the Centre to analyse whether disappearances reflect an all‑India network, regional clusters, or isolated cases using comprehensive data from 2020 to 2025.
- Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati said 12 states/UTs have not submitted missing‑children data and 14 have not provided prosecution updates, naming non‑responders such as Delhi, Maharashtra, Assam, West Bengal, J&K, Punjab, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Odisha.
- The bench told the Centre to interview rescued children to identify perpetrators and modus operandi and asked what steps are being taken to disrupt any identified networks.
- An MHA affidavit covering 24 states/UTs flagged disturbing trends, with Bihar reporting 16,390 cases in 2025 and 8,857 children still untraced by end‑2025; high untraced counts were also noted in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Haryana and Rajasthan.
- States and UTs were instructed to supply information to the nodal officer linked to the Mission Vatsalya portal, as the case—filed by NGO Guria Swayam Sevi Sansthan—continues to spotlight investigative and coordination gaps.