Navi Mumbai residents were sent into a panic after a WhatsApp message alleging the ‘kidnapping’ of minor children circulated widely in school groups and housing societies. The forwarded message claimed that around six to eight children had gone ‘missing’ in 48 hours, leading to alarm among the community. However, the Navi Mumbai police clarified that there were no actual cases of kidnapping; instead, the children had left home voluntarily.
Despite the lack of concrete kidnapping cases, the police registered eight ‘kidnapping’ cases following Supreme Court guidelines, which mandate treating such incidents as kidnappings when minors go missing, even if they leave home on their own accord. Amit Kale, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch), explained, “As per the Supreme Court guidelines, whenever a minor goes missing, even if it is running away from home, we register a kidnapping case directly and not a missing person’s complaint.”
This year alone, there have been 371 ‘kidnapping’ cases of minors registered, with 325 children traced and brought back home. The remaining cases mostly involved elopements and marriages in different states, with no instances of third-party kidnappings. After tracing the children, a ‘C Summary’ report is filed in court, closing the case.
Of the eight children reported ‘missing’ in the past two days, five were girls and three were boys, aged 12 to 15. The Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) of Navi Mumbai tracked their locations through mobile data and conversations with people they had met. Deputy Commissioner Amit Kale urged parents to remain vigilant, understand their children’s mental states, and be available for communication.
Several cases highlighted the need for parental awareness and communication. A 12-year-old boy ran away due to a disagreement over playing football, a 13-year-old girl left after an argument with her mother, and a 14-year-old girl with a history of leaving home was traced to her aunt’s house in Gujarat. The police emphasized the importance of parental roles in preventing such incidents and urged against unnecessary panic while encouraging alertness and understanding within families
