MP Women’s Safety Crisis: 50,000+ Still Missing, Governance Under Fire

India – Fresh data tabled in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly reveals that over 2.6 lakh women and girls have gone missing in recent years, with more than 50,000 still untraced, raising serious concerns about policing capacity, trafficking networks, and governance accountability.
Key Facts & Figures
▪ Official records show approximately 2.6 lakh missing cases, with 50,000+ unresolved, despite expanded digital FIR systems and improved reporting mechanisms.
▪ Madhya Pradesh continues to rank among the top states in NCRB data for crimes against women, particularly in kidnapping and abduction cases, intensifying political confrontation between opposition and ruling leadership.
▪ Structural drivers include human trafficking corridors, poverty-led migration, informal labour exploitation, and child marriage, while police backlogs and slow judicial proceedings weaken conviction rates.
▪ Civil society groups in Bhopal and Indore demand specialized missing persons units, stronger anti-trafficking enforcement, and faster investigations, warning that prolonged inaction deepens rural distress and gender inequality.