Delhi Police AHTU reunites 3 missing children with families
Synopsis
Delhi Police's Anti-Human Trafficking Unit crossed state lines to recover three missing minors — including a boy who had been missing since 2021 — from Delhi and Surat, Gujarat. Two separate cases involved 16-year-old girls who had eloped with male friends, highlighting the domestic and peer-driven triggers behind many juvenile missing-person cases in the capital.
Key Takeaways
Delhi Police AHTU reunited three missing minors with their families on 16 May 2025 .
A 12-year-old boy missing since 2021 was recovered from Vikas Nagar , Delhi, after reportedly fleeing home due to family discord.
Two 16-year-old girls were traced to Surat, Gujarat , both having eloped with male acquaintances.
Operations were led by Inspector Manoj Dahiya under the supervision of ACP Suresh Kumar , AHTU.
The unit used technical surveillance, field intelligence, and inter-state coordination to complete all three recoveries.
The Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) of Delhi Police Crime Branch has successfully traced and reunited three missing minors with their families, recovering the children from multiple locations across Delhi and Surat, Gujarat, police said on Saturday, 16 May. The children had left home on their own accord before being reported missing from different parts of the national capital.
Case 1: 12-Year-Old Boy Missing Since 2021
A 12-year-old boy who had been missing since 2021 was recovered from the Vikas Nagar area of Delhi. The operation was led by Inspector Manoj Dahiya, SI Narender Kumar, ASI Rajesh Kumar, and W/HC Sweeti No. 2799/NW, under the supervision of ACP Suresh Kumar, AHTU.
Investigators found that the boy's mother had passed away approximately four to five years ago, after which his father remarried. The boy reportedly had no interest in studies and alleged that his stepmother frequently scolded him. He stated that he had taken refuge at Baprola Park and a local Shiv Mandir during his time away from home.
Two 16-Year-Old Girls Traced to Surat
In separate but similar cases, two 16-year-old girls were traced to Surat in Gujarat. The first girl was reported missing on 17 April. According to police, she had befriended a boy from the same school, and the two eloped on 17 April, travelling together to Surat where they had been staying in rented accommodation.
The second girl had eloped with a boy from her neighbourhood after the two became friends. Police found her in Surat's Ram Nagar area, where the boy had taken up employment at a local restaurant and the pair had rented a room together.
Both recoveries were carried out by an AHTU team led by Inspector Manoj Dahiya, Head Constable Pardeep No. 886/NE, Constable Ashok Kumar No. 1485/Crime, and W/Ct. Mintu No. 1679/NE, under the supervision of ACP Suresh Kumar.
How the AHTU Tracked the Children
Officials noted that the AHTU teams navigated significant time and distance complexities across state lines, deploying technical surveillance, field intelligence, and what authorities described as 'human sensitivity' to locate all three minors safely. The inter-state nature of two of the recoveries — spanning Delhi to Gujarat — underscores the operational reach of the unit.
Context and Significance
Missing children cases in Delhi frequently involve minors who leave home voluntarily due to domestic friction or peer influence, presenting distinct challenges compared to abduction cases. The AHTU's mandate covers both trafficking and voluntary disappearances of minors, and these reunions reflect the unit's cross-state coordination capabilities. All three children have been safely handed over to their respective families.
Point of View
Not abduction. The AHTU's cross-state reach — from Delhi to Surat in two of these cases — is operationally impressive, but the harder question is upstream: what family support and school-level intervention systems exist to catch these vulnerabilities before a child disappears? Recovery is a success, but prevention remains the gap no police unit alone can close.
NationPress
5 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How did Delhi Police trace the three missing children?
The Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) of Delhi Police Crime Branch used technical surveillance, field intelligence, and inter-state coordination to locate all three minors. Two of the children were found in Surat, Gujarat, while the third was recovered within Delhi itself.
Who led the operations to recover the missing children?
The recoveries were led by Inspector Manoj Dahiya and his team, under the supervision of ACP Suresh Kumar of the AHTU. The team included SI Narender Kumar, ASI Rajesh Kumar, Head Constable Pardeep, Constable Ashok Kumar, and other personnel.
Why had the children gone missing?
All three children had reportedly left home on their own accord. The 12-year-old boy allegedly fled due to family discord following his mother's death and his father's remarriage. The two 16-year-old girls had eloped with male acquaintances — one from the same school, another from the neighbourhood.
Where were the missing children found?
The 12-year-old boy was found in Delhi's Vikas Nagar area. Both 16-year-old girls were traced to Surat, Gujarat — one from a rented accommodation and the other from the Ram Nagar area of the city, where the boy she had eloped with was working at a restaurant.
What is the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU)?
The AHTU is a specialised unit within the Delhi Police Crime Branch mandated to tackle human trafficking and trace missing persons, including minors. It operates across state lines and uses technical and field-based methods to recover vulnerable individuals.
