RTI reveals over 1,300 children missing from Navi Mumbai in past decade
23 Nov, 2013
The reply to an application filed under the Right to Information (RTI) Act has revealed that though a large number of children have gone missing from Navi Mumbai in past ten years, the number of related FIRs registered by the police is dismally low.
The data provided in the reply to the application shows that 618 children went missing from Nerul, navi Mumbai during the period from January 1, 2003 to July 13, 2013. However, only seven (7) FIRs were lodged regarding missing children during the said period. Similarly, the number of kids missing from Rabale during the same period was 702 but only 12 FIRs on missing kids were registered during this period.
The activists allege that the police don't even register any case of missing child especially in case of slum-dwellers and poor persons. They claim that most cases go unregistered as the poor and illiterate parents can't approach the higher authorities with their complaints.
In this regard, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has asked the police and the state to submit a report on missing children within four weeks. It has also sought a report on the steps taken by the police to tackle the menace of missing children.