Supreme Court orders immediate FIR in missing persons cases, activation of anti-trafficking units within 4 weeks

Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah and R. Mahadevan noted that the increasing number of cases of missing children can be attributed to “gaps” in coordination between various agencies. File. | Photo credit: The Hindu

The Supreme Court on Friday (May 22, 2026) directed police authorities across the country to immediately register FIRs in all cases of missing persons and directed that anti-trafficking units be fully operational within four weeks.

Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah and R. Mahadevan noted that the growing number of cases of missing children can be attributed to “gaps” in coordination between various agencies, pointing out that many such children fall victim to organized interstate trafficking syndicates.

Also read | Child trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation are a ‘deeply disturbing reality’ in India: Supreme Court

“The Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, is tasked with establishing a pan-India network connecting every police station in the country on a single platform, which will have a dedicated portal dedicated to human trafficking, including missing children and women,” the Bench ordered.

Police stations have been directed to immediately register FIRs, covering offenses under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, relating to kidnapping and human trafficking, the moment information about a missing person is received, without waiting for preliminary investigation or handing it over to the guardians of the missing person.

The bench directed the authorities to assume abduction or abduction from the outset whenever a child goes missing. He further ordered that all necessary steps be taken to ensure that the recovered children are returned to their families within 24 hours.

“…(I)t must be ensured that the returned person is returned to his family. We hold that procedure and formality will not be a defense if this court is brought to the notice of undue delay in returning the missing person to his family after due verification that the returned person is lawfully returned,” the court ordered.

However, the court cautioned that such restoration should not be done mechanically in trafficking cases where guardians or family members are found to have played a role in the trafficking of the child or victim. In such cases, the immediate responsibility for the care and protection of the child would lie with state authorities, including child welfare committees, it said.

Aadhaar verification

To ensure traceability and facilitate identification of victims’ families, the court also directed the authorities to ensure that the moment any person is found or rescued, they are handed over for Aadhaar verification or issuance of an Aadhaar card.

“…(We) approve and also direct that the moment any person is rescued or rescued, he shall be taken for Aadhaar verification/production of Aadhaar card. This direction is issued in view of the fact that fingerprints and other biometrics are taken for the purpose of obtaining Aadhaar and the moment the same person tries to obtain an Aadhaar card and another Aadhaar card is produced, it would facilitate recovery,” the Bench said.

To facilitate the process, the court directed the Union government to upload Aadhaar and biometric data on the Mission Vatsalya portal run by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.

“We also make it clear that all agencies, including District Legal Services Offices and similar institutions, should fully cooperate with the concerned authorities in this exercise,” the Bench said.

Accordingly, the Bench posted the matter for further hearing in August to review compliance with its directions.

The Supreme Court approved the directions in a petition filed by the father of a child who went missing from Chennai on 19 September 2011. Subsequently, the court on 19 March expanded the scope of the petition and constituted a three-member committee to draft a standard operating procedure to be implemented across India to deal with cases of human trafficking, including child trafficking.

The committee comprises PM Nair, former IPS officer and DG, NDRF; Veerendra Kumar Mishra, IPS, Director, Ministry of Home Affairs; and SD Sanjay, Additional Solicitor General.

Published – 22 May 2026 22:51 IST