KATHMANDU: Cases of women and children going missing are on the rise in Baitadi in Sudurpaschim Province, which shares an open border with India.
Police records show that 52 people reported missing in the past three years remain untraced.
According to the District Police Office, 105 people were reported missing in the fiscal year 2022/23, of whom 91 were found, while 14 are still unaccounted for. In 2023/24, 115 people went missing, with 113 later traced. In 2024/25, 122 missing complaints were registered, but only 86 people have been located so far.
Police spokesperson Inspector Balram Pandey said women and children account for the majority of those reported missing. In the last fiscal year alone, 55 women, 27 boys, 29 girls, and one elderly person were reported missing. Among them, 86 were later found.
Officials caution that the data may appear inflated, as families often fail to inform police when missing persons are later located. Still, police believe the open border with India, misuse of social media, and children attempting to cross over on their own are key drivers behind the rising figures.
Authorities say they have also been active in rescue operations. Last year, police rescued five women, two boys, and three girls, handing them over to their families. Several children trying to cross into India unaccompanied were also intercepted at border points.
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