Delhi Police reunite 124 missing persons under Operation Milap in July
Synopsis
In a single month, Delhi Police's South-West District traced 124 missing individuals — including 43 children — some of whom had been missing since 2020. The 990-person cumulative count for 2026 reveals the scale of Delhi's missing-persons challenge and the sustained operational effort required to address it.
Key Takeaways
Delhi Police South-West District reunited 124 missing persons with families between 1–31 July 2026 under Operation Milap .
Of those recovered, 43 were missing or kidnapped children and 81 were adults .
Kapashera Police Station led July recoveries, tracing 28 individuals including 14 children .
The Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) traced 10 persons , of whom 9 were children .
Several recovered persons had been missing since 2020 and 2021 .
Year-to-date total for 2026 stands at 990 persons — 269 children and 721 adults — reunited with families.
Delhi Police's South-West District reunited 124 missing individuals — comprising 43 missing or kidnapped children and 81 missing adults — with their families during July 2026 under the ongoing Operation Milap. The recoveries were made between 1 July and 31 July 2026 through coordinated search operations launched immediately after missing-person reports were received.
How the Search Operations Worked
Police teams conducted extensive local enquiries, analysed CCTV footage, and circulated photographs of missing persons at auto-rickshaw stands, e-rickshaw stands, bus terminals, and railway stations. Bus drivers, conductors, and vendors were questioned to reconstruct the movements of missing individuals, while local informers assisted the investigations. Records of nearby police stations and hospitals were also cross-checked as part of the systematic search.
The initiative, formally titled 'Operation Milap: Reuniting Families with Dedication and Compassion', has been described by the force as a demonstration of its 'compassionate approach, coupled with methodical investigations and swift action.'
Station-Wise Performance in July
Kapashera Police Station recorded the highest number of recoveries during the month, tracing 28 missing persons — including 14 missing or kidnapped children and 14 adults. Vasant Kunj South Police Station recovered 17 missing persons, including 5 children and 12 adults, while Sagarpur Police Station traced 15 individuals, including 5 children and 10 adults. Palam Village Police Station recovered 11 missing persons.
The Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) of the South-West District traced 10 missing persons, of whom 9 were children. The District Missing Persons Unit (DMPU) independently traced 13 missing adults during the same period.
Long-Missing Persons Among Those Traced
Notably, several individuals recovered during July had been missing for years. Police traced 12 adults reported missing in 2020, one woman missing since 2021, 5 persons linked to 2024 cases, and 2 persons missing since 2025. The remaining 104 persons — comprising 41 minors and 63 adults — had been reported missing in 2026.
Cumulative Progress in 2026
The South-West District Police's cumulative tally for the year stands at 990 missing persons and children reunited with families between 1 January and 31 July 2026, including 269 children and 721 adults. This positions Operation Milap as one of the more sustained missing-persons recovery drives in the capital's recent policing history, averaging over 141 recoveries per month across the district this year.
The South-West District Police said the operation would continue, reaffirming its commitment to ensuring the safe return of missing individuals to their families.
Point of View
But it also reflects the persistent scale of Delhi's missing-persons problem. With 990 individuals traced in just seven months — nearly 270 of them children — the numbers underscore how routine disappearances are in the capital, and how resource-intensive the response must be. The AHTU's recovery of 9 children in a single month warrants closer scrutiny of the trafficking pipeline feeding into and through South-West Delhi. Operation Milap's methodology — CCTV analysis, station-level informers, transport-hub canvassing — is replicable, but its long-term impact depends on whether root causes such as runaway risk, labour migration vulnerabilities, and trafficking networks are addressed alongside recovery numbers.
NationPress
2 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Operation Milap launched by Delhi Police?
Operation Milap is an ongoing missing-persons recovery initiative run by the South-West District of Delhi Police, formally titled 'Operation Milap: Reuniting Families with Dedication and Compassion.' It involves coordinated search operations using CCTV analysis, local informers, and canvassing at transport hubs to trace and reunite missing individuals with their families.
How many missing persons were recovered in July 2026 under Operation Milap?
Delhi Police's South-West District recovered 124 missing persons between 1 July and 31 July 2026 — 43 missing or kidnapped children and 81 missing adults — all of whom were reunited with their families.
Which police station recorded the most recoveries in July 2026?
Kapashera Police Station recorded the highest number of recoveries in July, tracing 28 missing persons including 14 children and 14 adults. Vasant Kunj South and Sagarpur police stations also reported significant recoveries.
How many missing persons has Delhi Police traced in 2026 so far?
Between 1 January and 31 July 2026, the South-West District Police traced a cumulative total of 990 missing persons — 269 children and 721 adults — under Operation Milap.
Were any long-missing persons recovered during July 2026?
Yes. Among those traced in July, 12 adults had been reported missing in 2020 and one woman had been missing since 2021. Five persons were linked to 2024 cases and two to 2025 cases, while the remaining 104 were reported missing in 2026.
