MUMBAI, Feb 5 (NNN-XINHUA) – Human trafficking of women and children, reached alarming proportion in India’s western state of Maharashtra, with 28,316; 29,279 and 33,964 of them missing, in 2016; 2017 and 2018, respectively, media quoted figures from the National Crime Records Bureau as reporting.
India’s financial capital, Mumbai and Pune recorded the highest number of missing women at 4,718 and 5,201 in 2017 and 2018, while in Pune, the number of missing women for the same years was 2,576 and 2,504 respectively, The Hindu newspaper reported.
The report was part of study directed by the country’s Supreme Court, to analyse the data on missing persons, so that areas prone to people being trafficked can be identified.
“The need for the study arises because of the fact that incidents of missing women and children are not uniform across the country. Some parts of the country report higher incidents. Such areas could be one of the source, transit or destination (sites) for child /woman trafficking,” the crime bureau report said.
Eastern state of West Bengal and central state of Madhya Pradesh, closely followed Maharashtra, to hold the dubious distinction of taking the second and third positions.
In West Bengal, the number of missing women during the three years under review were 24,937; 28,133 and 31,299, while in Madhya Pradesh the number stood at 21,435; 26,587 and 29,761.
During the three years, 2016-18, a total of 63,407; 63,349 and 67,134 children were reported missing across the country with most number of missing from Maharashtra state.
