Lapataa Ladies: 387 women remain untraceable

 

 

 

The question, ‘How safe are women in Nagpur?’, is once again in sharp focus and the latest data in this regard is deeply disturbing. A recent RTI query has exposed a shocking reality: in just four years, thousands of women have gone missing from the city. Between 2022 and September 2025 alone, 6,941 women disappeared from the Orange City. Police managed to trace and reunite 6,554 of them, but 387 missing women remain untraceable. Their families continue to knock on police station doors and hoping for even the smallest update, checking their phones every hour in fear and hope - waiting for a call that their daughter, wife, or sister has finally been found. This data was obtained by Abhay Kolarkar from Nagpur Police through a Right to Information (RTI) application. Experts say that along with traditional reasons, modern risks have now increased. They believe loneliness, social isolation, cyber fraud, online friendships and lack of family interaction may be playing a role in young girls and women going missing. Police continue to say that special squads are working, but many families feel the squads do not have enough manpower and modern tools. 

 

 

 

Nagpur Police data also shows that along with missing cases, crimes against women remain a big concern. During these four years, 5,460 harassment cases were registered in different police stations. In the same period, police took action against 1,279 people for creating unrest and inciting quarrels in the city. Police data also mentions that 91 elderly citizens committed suicide by drowning, many by jumping into ponds or rivers. Importantly, no case was registered in the last four years in Nagpur city regarding giving state intelligence information to any neighbouring country. 

 

 

Police officials say that every police station in Nagpur has a missing persons squad, which tries to find clues through technical investigations, CCTV footage, mobile location tracing, and cyber tools. Still, the big question is - if so many cases are being “worked on”, why are 387 women still missing? Citizens’ groups are now demanding more manpower, more surveillance units, and regular weekly meetings between police and families of missing persons. Many families complain that after the first 2–3 days, police action becomes very weak.

 

 

Another dangerous trend has come forward about minors. In the past four years, 1,860 cases under Section 363 of the IPC (kidnapping) were registered - these involve minors being lured away, misled, or disappearing suddenly. Of these, 1,963 boys and girls were missing. Among them 582 are boys and 1,381 are girls. Out of these, 1,940 have been traced. But 23 minors are still not found. Their families say they have been waiting for years, but every festival, every birthday passes only in tears. Sources in police say that many missing persons are found with relatives or in other cities. Many are victims of love traps, cyber romance, or elopement. However, the families say - reason does not matter, returning home safely matters.