Mumbai: The Mumbai High Court has urgently addressed a petition concerning the alarming number of missing girls in Maharashtra, requesting an official response from the state government.
The court is reviewing a petition filed by Sahaji Jagtap, a former soldier from Sangli, whose daughter went missing in 2019. Despite reporting her disappearance, she was only later found to have converted to Islam and married a Muslim.
Jagtap referenced Ministry of Home Affairs data, which revealed 35,990 missing girls in 2019, 30,089 in 2020, and 34,763 in 2021.
Chief Justice Devendra Upadhyaya highlighted the state’s responsibility to locate and protect missing children, suggesting that the high numbers could be related to human trafficking.
Notices have been issued to the state government and railway police for details on anti-trafficking measures, and the Maharashtra State Commission for Women has also been asked to respond.