A public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Delhi High Court seeking action over the disappearance of over 800 people in the national capital in the first 15 days of 2026.
The plea was mentioned for urgent listing before a Division Bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia on Tuesday afternoon. The Court rejected the request, stating that the case will be auto-listed.
The counsel appearing for the petitioner told the Court that there was urgency in the matter, despite which the registry had raised certain objections to the PIL. The lawyer requested that the matter be heard on Wednesday. She added that if the matter is not listed tomorrow, it will come up for hearing on February 18. The Delhi High Court hears PILs on Wednesdays.
However, the Bench said the Delhi Police are already under the mandate of the law to do anything they can. "File it, it will be auto-listed," the Bench added. A news report recently revealed that between January 1, 2026 and January 15, 2026, 807 people were reported missing in Delhi. The news sparked widespread public concern. On February 6, the Delhi Police issued a tweet saying that the hype around the surge in missing persons is "paid promotion" and warned action against people who create panic for monetary gains.
Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) took suo motu cognisance of the reports and issued notices to the Delhi government and Delhi Police chief, seeking a detailed report within two weeks. The Commission said the figures, if accurate, could raise serious human rights issues.
“There is no reason for panic over missing persons, especially children. Reports have not increased and, in fact, January 2026 saw fewer cases than the same period in previous years”, Delhi Police on Thursday sought to allay public concern. It stated there is "no cause for panic or fear" as the figures actually reflected a decline compared to the same period in previous years.
The police maintained that they follow a transparent and impartial crime reporting policy. All complaints related to missing persons were promptly registered and investigated. A missing person report can be lodged not only at a local police station, but also through online platforms and the Emergency Response Support System (112).
Follow us
