6,000 kids go missing in city since ’08 –ToI -20.1.12

Girls In 12-15 Age Group Form Chunk Of Missing Cases

Hyderabad: It’s an alarming situation, but it has failed to stir the police into action. As many as 6,019 children have gone missing in the city since 2008, of which only 2,109 have been found. It’s girls in the 12-15 age group that form a chunk of the missing children. The Hyderabad police has recorded 974 missing girls in 2008-11 period and the Cyberabad police has registered 511 cases of missing girls. Fuelling this crime trend are a cocktail of reasons ranging from realty and property disputes to an even more disturbing angle of flesh trade. 
    In fact, a child rights NGO moved the State Human Rights Commission on Thursday stating that there were many cases of missing children being reported in Hyderabad and the police had been able to make a breakthrough only in a few. 
    While the city’s crime rate is lower than that of Bangalore and Chennai, the number of children missing from Hyderabad is higher than these two cities. In most cases, the children were kidnapped for a ransom, in others they were pulled into flesh trade, police officials say. There have been 3,037 cases of missing children in Hyderabad zone in the past four years. In Cyberabad, the figure is 2,992. In most cases children were abducted on their way back from school. The ransom demands too have shot, in some cases over Rs 5 lakh, and the police say that parents are often ready to pay up to ensure the safety of their child. In most cases, the criminal is a person familiar with the child’s family, like neighbours or even distant relatives. The police are also witnessing more petty criminals trying to kidnap children as they find it an easier way to quick money. 
    But what has observers and also the police worried is the rising number of missing girls. “There are many cases of girl children in the 12 to 15 age group who are being enticed by adults to leave their homes. While this cannot be considered as kidnapping for a ransom, it involves a more serious crime of sexual abuse. Many girls are sent home after a short period of time and many of them claim that they are married. However, 1% of the kidnaps are done for flesh trade,” said Tarun Joshi, DCP, Central Zone. NGO seeks probe into missing children case 
Most children recovered after months or even years of their abduction are usually sent to child care homes in the city, if the police fail to trace their parents. The city’s Shishu Vihar has over 40 such children. Police officials said that in spite of going all out in trying to find children it is difficult to trace them are many of them are taken to other states. 
    Child rights NGOs said that the number of kidnapping cases solved by the police is less in the city. “Children are kidnapped for many reasons including family rivalries and land disputes. But the police seem to be able to do the least to get them back. The police department is insensitive to these grieving parents and there should be a support system for them,” said Achyuta Rao from child rights NGO Balala Hakkula Sangham. The NGO approached State Human Rights Commission on Thursday demanding an investigation into missing cases in the city. The SHRC has ordered home secretary to investigate into the matter and submit a report by February 9.