Srinagar: At least 16,397 women and girls, including minors, were reported missing in Jammu and Kashmir between 2019 and 2026, with 4,271 still untraced, according to data obtained through a Right to Information (RTI) application filed with the J&K Home Department and reported by The Tribune.
The figures show that authorities have traced 12,126 of the missing women and girls, while more than a quarter of the reported cases remain unresolved. The department, however, did not provide district-wise details of the cases.
Of the total cases, 14,593 involved adult women reported missing between 2019 and June 2026. While 11,338 were traced, 3,255 remain untraced.
Among minor girls, 1,804 cases were reported between 2019 and August 2026. Of these, 788 girls were traced, while 1,016 remain missing, meaning more than half of the cases involving minors are yet to be resolved.
The annual figures show a rise in missing adult women cases over the years, with 2025 recording the highest number at 2,595. Of these, 2,102 women were traced, while 493 remain untraced.
The second-highest number of missing adult women was recorded in 2023, when 2,242 cases were reported, with 699 women still untraced.
In 2019, 1,388 adult women were reported missing, followed by 1,398 in 2020 and 1,854 in 2021. The figure declined slightly to 1,766 in 2022 before rising sharply to 2,242 in 2023.
The number of missing minor girls has also fluctuated, with the annual figures showing an overall increase in recent years.
A total of 150 minor girls were reported missing in 2019, while the number declined to 122 in 2020. The cases rose to 221 in 2021, 249 in 2022 and 261 in 2023 before dropping to 226 in 2024.
In 2025, 289 minor girls were reported missing, the highest annual figure in the period covered by the data. Of these, 166 remain untraced.
The figures for 2026 show that 286 girls were reported missing up to August, with 158 still untraced.
Separately, data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) for 2024 showed that Jammu and Kashmir recorded 1,202 cases involving the kidnapping, abduction or inducement of women to compel them to marry under Section 87 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The RTI figures do not provide district-wise details or establish the circumstances in which the women and girls went missing.
