Delhi Police on Friday said recent claims of a surge in missing girls in the capital were being amplified through “paid promotion”, warning of strict action against those spreading panic for monetary gain.
The statement came after reports claimed that more than 800 people went missing in Delhi during the first 15 days of the year, with women and girls accounting for nearly two-thirds of the cases.
“After following several leads, it has emerged that the hype around a surge in missing girls is being pushed through paid promotion,” Delhi Police said in a statement. “Creating panic for monetary gains will not be tolerated.”
A day earlier, police had urged the public not to panic over what they described as rumours about people, particularly children, going missing.
According to official data cited by news agency PTI, 807 people were reported missing in Delhi between January 1 and 15, including 509 women and girls and 298 men. Of the total, 191 were minors and 616 were adults.
Police said the number of missing person cases had declined compared with the same period last year, though they did not provide comparative figures.
Joint Commissioner of Police Sanjay Tyagi said the force followed a “transparent and impartial” process for registering missing person reports, which can be filed at police stations, online or through the emergency helpline 112.
He said cases involving missing children were given priority and added that investigations had not found any organised gang or criminal network linked to such cases in the capital.
Tyagi urged citizens not to pay heed to misinformation, warning that action would be taken against those spreading rumours.