Delhi High Court Issues Notice On PIL Seeking Robust Mechanism To Trace Missing Persons, Curb Disappearances

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued notice in a Public Interest Litigation seeking urgent directions to the authorities to put in place a robust mechanism to trace missing persons in the national capital and curb the rising incidents of trafficking and disappearances.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia sought response of Union Government through Ministries of Home Affairs and Women and Child Development, Delhi Government, Delhi Police and National Human Rights Commission.

The Court asked the authorities to file their responses to the plea before four weeks.

The matter is listed now in April 15.

The plea, moved by advocate Jayeeta Deb Sarkar, highlights what it terms a “silent emergency” in Delhi, pointing to a sharp surge in cases of missing persons—particularly women and children. Sarkar has alleged systemic failure on the part of the city authorities to trace them effectively.

According to the petition, official data shows that between January and early February this year, as many as 3,151 persons were reported missing in the national capital, of whom nearly 81% remain untraced.

The plea further states that between October 2025 and January 2026 alone, over 11,000 persons went missing. Sarkar has sought a declaration that the “right to be traced” and the “right to investigation” in missing persons cases are intrinsic facets of the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution.

The plea argues that disappearances often lead to trafficking, forced labour, sexual exploitation, or organ trade, thereby implicating Articles 21 and 23 of the Constitution of India.

Further, the plea criticizes the response of the Delhi Police, stating that instead of treating the issue as a humanitarian crisis, authorities dismissed concerns as “hype” and “panic creation.” It contends that such responses reflect institutional apathy and violate Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution of India.

The petition also notes that the National Human Rights Commission has taken suo motu cognizance of the issue and sought a report from authorities, observing that the figures, if accurate, raise serious human rights concerns.

Title: JAYEETA DEB SARKAR v. UNION OF INDIA & ORS