13,552 kidnapping cases registered in Karnataka since 2020; 72% victims were girls

Over the past five years, the number of children being abducted in the state has been on the upward spiral, much to the dismay of parents – since 2020, 13552  children have been kidnapped across Karnataka, with 9789 girls  of the abducted kids.

That the state has already registered 1,318 abduction cases in the first seven months of 2025 is illustrative of the gravity of the problem. Karnataka Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara in a written reply to the Council informed that Bengaluru accounted for 589 of the kidnapping cases registered in the state in 2025.

In fact, the abduction and subsequent murder of a 13-year-old boy in Bengaluru a few weeks ago had sent shockwaves across the community. Apart from Bengaluru, there has been a disturbing spike in abduction cases in Tumakuru, Mandya, Chitradurga and Davanagere districts. Although experts concede that a spike in the number of ‘missing children’ cases can be attributed to societal pressure, including expectations to perform well in academics, they were quick to point out that trafficking, children being pressed into labour and beggary were problems too big to be ignored.  

Dr Anumeha, a child psychiatrist, was quick to point out that not all ‘missing’ children were victims of kidnapping. “There are instances of children voluntarily leaving home. Some cannot cope with parents’ expectations to perform well in academics, or deal with pressure at school, while others choose to leave home because their parents are always squabbling, or because they don’t get any love and affection at home,” said Dr Anumeha.

She stressed the need for parents to allot time in the day to listen to their kids and create an atmosphere that encouraged sharing. “Parents today must learn management strategies,” said Dr Anumeha.  

Child rights activist Nagasimha G Rao also flagged reluctance among parents to approach police soon after learning that their child is missing. “The ten-hour period that follows realisation of the missing child is the ‘golden hour’. In that time, parents must contact friends of the child, but in most cases, they are not aware of who their child’s friends are. Parents must also have information about identity marks of the child ready at hand. Keeping an updated photograph of their child on the mobile phone will also come in handy in such situations,” said Rao.

Although each police station had a Special Juvenile Police and a Child Welfare Officer, the entire responsibility of finding the missing child cannot be entrusted to the police, he added. “The community must assist the cops, and if the child returns home, the police must be immediately informed. Furthermore, anger must not be the parents’ first reaction when the child returns home,” said Rao.

Former minister and BJP MLC C T Ravi expressed concern over rising incidence of ‘missing children’ and kidnapping cases despite law enforcement authorities having the latest technologies at their disposal. He urged the government to convene meetings at the district and taluk levels to deliberate on pending cases of missing children.