Family member missing in India? What to do now — no 24-hour wait, missing person report or FIR at any police station, missing child FIR rule (Supreme Court 2013), Khoya-Paya / TrackChild, unidentified body search, habeas corpus (2026)
Plain step-by-step guide for families when a child, teenager, adult, elderly parent or a person with mental illness goes missing: call 112, go to the police immediately, what to carry, why a missing child complaint must be registered as an FIR, online reports and national missing-person search, following up with SP / Magistrate if police delay, and habeas corpus if someone is being illegally held. Educational only — not legal advice. Adhiwakta does not contact police or search for anyone.
WhatsApp opens with your question already written. You just tap send.
Right now: call 112 and go to the police — do not wait 24 hours
There is no law that says you must wait 24 hours before reporting a missing person. The first hours matter most. Call 112 (emergency) and go to the nearest police station — any police station can take the information (BNSS s.173; Zero FIR). For a child, also call 1098 (Childline). Tell railway / bus station police (GRP / RPF) if the person may have travelled. Ask for the complaint to be written down and take a copy or a receipt number.
What to carry to the police station
Recent clear photos (face and full length), age, height, build, clothes last worn, identification marks, mobile number(s) and last location / last call time, social-media handles, Aadhaar or other ID copy, names and numbers of friends, school / college / office, any medical condition or medicines, and any reason to suspect someone (threats, a relationship, a recent quarrel, a job offer elsewhere). Give the phone details quickly — police can request call records and location from the telecom company.
Is your situation a little different? Send your question on WhatsApp.
Write in Hindi or English · general guidance, not legal advice
Missing child: the complaint must be registered as an FIR
In Bachpan Bachao Andolan v. Union of India (order of 10 May 2013) the Supreme Court directed that every complaint of a missing child must be registered as an FIR and investigated at once, with an initial presumption that the child has been kidnapped or trafficked unless investigation shows otherwise. The Ministry of Home Affairs has issued advisories to all States on this (2013, reiterated 2024). Such cases are investigated under BNS s.137 kidnapping (old IPC 363) and related sections, and police also upload details to the TrackChild system. If a child is not traced in about four months, the case can be referred to the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit.
Missing adult: missing person report, FIR if there is a crime
For an adult, police record a missing person report and start an enquiry. If facts suggest a crime — abduction, threat, foul play, a person with dementia or mental illness who may be in danger, or someone held against their will — insist on an FIR (BNS s.140 abduction, old IPC 364–366, and others). An adult who has left voluntarily (for example, to marry) has the right to do so; police may record that person’s statement once traced rather than forcing them to return.
Online reports and national search
Many State police citizen portals and the Delhi Police portal accept online missing-person reports. Through NCRB’s citizen services (linked from the MHA Digital Police portal), you can search a missing person against records of unidentified found persons and unidentified dead bodies across States. For children, the Mission Vatsalya portal now includes TrackChild and the Khoya-Paya module, where any citizen can report a missing or sighted child (PIB, 27 March 2026). Also check nearby hospitals, shelters and railway stations.
Posters, social media and safety
Share a clear photo, date, place last seen and a police contact number. Avoid posting your home address, and be careful with callers who demand money to ‘return’ the person — report such calls to police at once (and to 1930 if money is demanded online). Do not pay ransom on your own; inform the police immediately in any extortion or kidnapping call.
If police delay or refuse
Send a written complaint to the Superintendent of Police / DCP by post and email (BNSS s.173(4), old CrPC 154(3)) with a copy of your earlier complaint. If still no action, an application can be made to the Magistrate under BNSS s.175(3) (old 156(3)) for directions. You can ask the investigating officer for updates and keep a dated log of every visit and call.
Habeas corpus — if someone is being illegally held
If you have reason to believe the person is being illegally detained — by relatives, another person, or even the police — a habeas corpus petition can be filed in the High Court (Article 226) or the Supreme Court (Article 32). The court can direct that the person be produced. When produced, an adult is free to decide where to go; for a child, the court decides based on the child’s welfare.
How Adhiwakta can help
We do not search for persons, contact police or file petitions. In an emergency call 112 first. Adhiwakta is a facilitation platform, not a law firm. We do not file cases, appear before any authority, or promise any result. Use Ask Adhiwakta to describe your situation for general guidance from an independent advocate, or start with the AI helper to organise your facts and papers. Educational only — not formal legal advice.
Have a related question?
Frequently asked questions
- Do I have to wait 24 hours to report a missing person?
- No. There is no 24-hour rule. Call 112 and report at the nearest police station immediately — the first hours are the most important.
- Is an FIR compulsory when a child goes missing?
- Yes. In Bachpan Bachao Andolan (2013) the Supreme Court directed that every missing child complaint be registered as an FIR, with an initial presumption of kidnapping or trafficking until investigation shows otherwise.
- Can I file a missing person complaint at any police station?
- Yes. Any police station can take information about a cognizable offence (BNSS s.173, Zero FIR) and transfer it; for a missing person report, go to the nearest station and ask for a copy or receipt.
- How can I search for a missing person online?
- Use your State police citizen portal for an online report, NCRB citizen services via the Digital Police portal to search against unidentified found persons and dead bodies, and for children the Mission Vatsalya portal (TrackChild / Khoya-Paya).
- What if police are not taking action?
- Write to the SP / DCP with a copy of your complaint (BNSS s.173(4)), then apply to the Magistrate under s.175(3). If you believe the person is being illegally held, a habeas corpus petition can be filed in the High Court.
- My adult daughter left home on her own. Can police bring her back?
- An adult has the right to live where she chooses and to marry by choice. Police may trace her and record her statement, but cannot force an adult to return if she left voluntarily.
Share Adhiwakta with someone who needs it
Send this page on WhatsApp — legal information in Hindi & English.