Indore (Madhya Pradesh): A recent study conducted by ACP Krishna Lalchandani on minor abductions within Indore Police Commissionerate has unveiled significant insights.
Banganga police station reported the highest number of minor girl abductions, followed by Lasudia, Chandan Nagar, Azad Nagar, Rajendra Nagar, Dwarkapuri, Aerodrome, Hiranagar, Bhanwarkuan and Rau. Many of these girls were found in Gujarat or in industrial cities like Mandideep, Bhopal and Pithampur, where they worked in factories.
Between 2023 and the first seven months of 2024, 420 and 450 minor abduction cases were registered, respectively. Most of the girls who went missing are from those areas where there are more slums, factories and workshops where people came from different cities and lived there on rent.
Impressively, the police recovered 95% of the abducted girls, who left their mobile phone running were being traced in approximately a week while others were in a month or two. 95% of girls who went missing were between 12 and 18 years old. 60% of them are school students who met someone in school and eloped with them.
The study revealed that 50% of these girls were influenced by social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, leading to relationships with boys and subsequent elopements. Additionally, 20% of girls admitted they were influenced by friends, while 10% cited familial pressure to marry unsuitable partners. Other reasons included poor economic conditions and the labour background of their families.
Only 5% of girls who returned were married to that person with whom she eloped. In 70% of abduction and rape cases, the police had to file closure reports as many of the girls had become adults or pregnant by the time they were found. Furthermore, 18% of abductors were unaware that their actions committed a crime due to illiteracy. The police are now focusing on raising awareness in slum areas and among coaching institutions and schools to prevent such incidents in future.
