* 351 boys and 345 girls among 1,889 persons missing during the last three years.
* 1,015 among them saved with whereabouts of others yet to be traced.
* Human trafficking suspected.
* Police and Juvenile Justice Board to probe.
The city of palaces which was till some time ago known as a 'Pensioners' Paradise' has been rapidly emerging as the second fastest growing city in the State next only to Bangalore, thanks to the mushrooming of IT, BT compan-ies like Infosys, Wipro, etc.
Added to this, the city attracts lakhs of tourists from across the country and abroad for its glorious history, tradition, tourist attractions and hospitable people who extend helping hands to each and every one irrespective of their religion, nationality or religious affiliations.
Quite understandably, the same has resulted in a spurt in crimes with the growing list of youngsters going missing occupying a prime place, which has prompted the Police and Juvenile Justice Board to come up with the novel idea of setting up a Missing Persons Bureau (MPB) to keep track of those going missing.
It is a matter of concern that women and young girls form a majority of those going missing which has forced law-enforcing authorities to come up with the proposal of setting up the MPB.
As on Dec.31, 2012, a total of 1,889 persons have gone missing in city out of whom 1,015 have been traced. While 451 of the 615 persons who went missing have been traced in the year 2010, 496 of 634 persons who were reported missing in 2011 have been traced and 468 out of 650 persons who went missing in 2012 had been rescued.
A total of 345 girls aged below 18 years (103 in 2010, 114 in 2011 and 128 in 2012) have gone missing from city out of whom 262 had been traced and the whereabouts of the remaining 83 is yet to be established which indicates that 25 to 30 per cent of missing girls remain untraced every year.
Records at City Crime Record Branch shows that 111 of the 133 boys below the age of 18 years who went missing have been traced while 88 of the 108 who went missing in the year 2011 had been traced and 85 of the 110 boys who went missing in 2013 had been traced suggesting that 22 boys go untraced every year.
Though broken love affairs are said to be major causes of boys and girls going missing, it remains a mystery as to how they manage to live for so long period on their own.
Keeping this in mind, the Police have arrived at a decision to set up MPBs at Mysore, Mandya, Chamarajanagar, Hassan and Kodagu districts in which details of those found missing and unclaimed bodies will be stored with the help of a software developed by the Department.
31 murders in 2012
Another problem haunting the Police is the increase in numbers of murders occuring in the State as many as 31 murder cases had been reported from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2012 out of which 15 cases have been cracked and some like the murder of Sanjay of Vijaynagar Railway Colony still remaining unsolved.
146 chain-snatching cases
With the prices of yellow metal shooting up in the market, as many as 146 cases of chain snatching had been reported in the city during the year 2012 out of which 82 cases have been solved and the matter of concern is that new faces are emerging on the scene with the arrest of old ones.
121 house burglary cases
Out of 121 cases of house burglaries in nights reported in 2012, 18 cases have been cracked and 3 of the 25 daylight robbery cases remained to be solved.
Determined to maintain l aw and order and control crimes, the city Police are making all out efforts which also requires active co-operation from citizens. —RK
Courtesy : Star Of Mysore