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New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Union government to ascertain whether incidents of children going missing from different parts of the country point to a nationwide network or to state-specific groups operating behind such cases.

A Bench comprising Justice B V Nagarathna and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan stressed the need to determine whether there is a discernible pattern behind the cases of missing children or whether the incidents are random in nature. The court directed the Centre to collate comprehensive data from all states and Union Territories to enable meaningful analysis.

Appearing for the Centre, Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati informed the Bench that while some states have submitted data on missing children and subsequent prosecutions, nearly a dozen states are yet to furnish the required information. She submitted that any conclusive assessment could be made only after complete data is received from all states.

“We want to know whether there is a nationwide network or a state-specific group behind these incidents where children go missing. Is it a pattern or just random incidents?” the Bench observed.

The court also suggested that rescued children should be interviewed to identify those responsible for their disappearance. It expressed displeasure at several states’ failure to submit data, warning that stringent measures could be imposed if non-compliance continues.

Senior advocate Aparna Bhatt submitted that the Centre has taken the initiative in the matter. She urged the court to issue directions to all states to furnish the pending data without delay.

The Bench was hearing a public interest litigation filed by the NGO Guria Swayam Sevi Sansthan, which highlighted the alarming number of untraced children across several states.

Earlier, on December 9, the top court had directed the Centre to place on record six years of nationwide data on missing children and to appoint a dedicated officer in the Union Home Ministry to ensure effective coordination with states and Union Territories in compiling and analysing such data.

The Supreme Court had also previously directed all states and Union Territories to appoint nodal officers to oversee cases of missing children and ensure that relevant details are promptly uploaded on the portal run by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.

On November 18 last year, the court had expressed grave concern over a media report claiming that a child goes missing in India every eight minutes, describing the situation as extremely serious. It had also flagged deficiencies in the country’s adoption system, observing that its complexity often leads to violations and illegal practices, and asked the Centre to streamline the process.

The Bench had earlier underscored the lack of coordination among police authorities across states and Union Territories in handling missing children cases. It suggested creating a dedicated national portal under the Home Ministry, with designated officers in each state responsible for tracking complaints and disseminating information.

In its petition, the NGO cited multiple unresolved cases of kidnapping and trafficking of children, including five cases registered in Uttar Pradesh last year, where minor boys and girls were allegedly abducted and trafficked through an organised network of intermediaries to states such as Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.