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Haryana human rights body seeks report on spike in abductions
HHRC’s protocol and public relations officer Dr Puneet Arora, said that the commission had noticed that missing people—especially women, children and economically vulnerable individuals—are at heightened risk of exploitation, including human trafficking, bonded labour, sexual abuse, and even illegal organ trade
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Gurugram: Alarmed by the sharp spike in the number of missing people and kidnapping cases across Haryana, the Haryana Human Rights Commission (HHRC) has taken suo moto cognizance of the matter and issued a notice to the state’s top police officer, officials aware of the development said.
The HHRC has asked its director (investigation) to obtain a detailed report from the Director General of Police (DGP) Shatrujeet Singh Kapur (Haryana). The report must provide the status of missing persons, kidnappings, and homicide cases from 2021 to 2025, including age-wise data, investigative progress, and steps taken for prevention. The DGP has been given eight weeks to submit the report.
The commission’s action follows a news report published on April 22 highlighting that over 4,100 people had gone missing in the first quarter of 2025 alone—an average of more than 45 people each day. More than 1,000 kidnapping cases were also registered during the same period, alongside a surge in incidents of murder and culpable homicide.
Terming the figures, a serious breach of public safety, the commission—comprising chairperson Justice Lalit Batra, and members Kuldip Jain and Deep Bhatia—stated that the situation amounts to prima facie violations of fundamental human rights, particularly the right to life, liberty, and personal security under Article 21 of the Constitution and Articles 3, 7, 9, and 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).
“The increasing number of unresolved disappearances and rising cases of violence clearly indicate a lapse in the preventive and investigative responsibilities of the state,” the commission observed. It also emphasised the profound emotional trauma endured by families, especially those who live in the dark about whether their missing loved ones are alive or dead.
HHRC’s protocol and public relations officer Dr Puneet Arora, said that the commission had noticed that missing people—especially women, children and economically vulnerable individuals—are at heightened risk of exploitation, including human trafficking, bonded labour, sexual abuse, and even illegal organ trade. Many disappearances, it noted, later turn out to be heinous crimes such as ransom killings or homicides. “Failure to act promptly facilitates the spread of organised crime and severely undermines the rule of law,” he said.
“The numbers don’t just reflect crime—they represent families torn apart, children missing, and citizens losing faith in the system meant to protect them. This is no longer just a policing issue—it is a human rights emergency,” said Dr Arora.
The commission has listed the matter for further hearing on July 31, 2025.
