SC Suggests Dedicated Centralised Website To Trace Missing Children, Flags Coordination Gaps

Moneylife Digital Team 24 September 2025

Economy & Nation

The Supreme Court has called on the Union government to consider creating a dedicated online portal under the Union ministry of home affairs (MHA) for tracing missing children and investigating related cases. The move, the Court says, is necessary to address the 'serious lack of coordination' among state and Union territory (UT) police forces handling such complaints.

A bench comprising justice BV Nagarathna and justice R Mahadevan observed that, despite existing mechanisms, including the government’s Khoya/Paya portal, systemic shortcomings continue to hinder effective follow-up.

The judges suggested that the proposed platform should have designated nodal officers from every state, responsible for registering and monitoring missing children complaints, while also ensuring seamless dissemination of information across jurisdictions.

“The issue calls for a coordinated effort. A dedicated online platform will ensure complaints are addressed in real time and tracked properly,” the bench noted, while asking additional solicitor general Aishwarya Bhati, representing the Union goverment, to seek instructions on the feasibility of the proposal.

The case was taken up following a petition filed by Guria Swayam Sevi Sansthan, a non-government organisation (NGP), which highlighted widespread lapses in investigating cases of abduction and trafficking. The organisation argued that despite available information, action often falls short, leaving children vulnerable to exploitation.

To underscore its point, the NGO cited five cases registered in Uttar Pradesh last year, where minors were allegedly kidnapped and trafficked through organised middlemen networks to states including Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

The Court had earlier asked the Union government to issue reminders to states and Union Territories (UTs) that had not furnished updated data on missing children. Stressing that safeguarding children from trafficking and exploitation is a constitutional obligation, the bench made it clear that institutional weaknesses cannot be permitted to obstruct justice.

The matter will be taken up again once the Union government presents its response to the Court on setting up such a website.

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