Over 93,000 women reported missing in Maharashtra in 2 years, 67,000 traced: Govt in Assembly

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

Mumbai, Feb 24 (IANS) The Maharashtra government on Tuesday informed the Legislative Assembly that as many as 45,662 women were reported missing in 2024, of whom 30,877 have been traced. In 2025, 48,278 women were reported missing, with 36,581 found so far.

In addition, as many as 11,313 minor girls went missing in 2024 and 12,113 in 2025. Of these, 8,475 and 10,295, respectively, have been traced, the government said.

Responding to a starred question raised by all-party legislators, the state Home Department, headed by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, tabled detailed data on missing women and children for 2024 and 2025.

According to the figures, 4,989 adolescents aged 15 to 18 years went missing during the two years from cities including Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Raigad, Nagpur, and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. Of them, 4,813, or 96 percent, have been traced.

The government said in its written reply, “The Maharashtra government ran 13 Operations Muskaan from July 2015 to December 2024, during which 41,193 minors (including girls and boys) were found. A 14th Operation Muskaan is currently underway, and till February 16, as many as 1,401 minors (454 boys and 947 girls) have been found.”

Further data showed that during 2024-25, a total of 4,514 minors (1,435 boys and 3,080 girls) went missing, of whom 4,455 (1,409 boys and 3,046 girls) have been traced.

The Chief Minister said the government is also implementing “Operation Muskan” from January 20 to February 20, 2026, aimed at reuniting missing and affected women and children with their families.

During 2024 and 2025, police traced 96 girls in the 15-18 age group. The government has also directed safety audits of schools to prevent crimes against children.

It further informed the House that Anti-Human Trafficking Cells have been set up in police divisions, excluding railway units, and awareness drives such as the Police Kaka and Police Didi initiatives are being carried out to curb harassment and improve child safety.

–IANS

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RJD condemns Bihar jewellery shop owners’ decision to ‘restrict’ customers with hijabs, niqabs

Patna, Jan 7 (IANS) A decision by a jewellery shop owners’ body in Bihar to restrict the entry of customers with covered faces, including women wearing hijabs or niqabs, has triggered political controversy in the state.

Reacting strongly, RJD state spokesperson Ejaz Ahmed termed the move unconstitutional and against India’s constitutional traditions.

“Targeting hijabs and niqabs in the name of security hurts religious sentiments and amounts to an attempt to curtail the fundamental right to religious freedom guaranteed under the Constitution,” Ahmed said.

He further claimed that BJP and RSS members were behind such an agenda and accused the jewellery shop owners of promoting it.

He urged the shop owners to immediately withdraw the decision, warning that it would weaken India’s constitutional and secular fabric.

Meanwhile, the All India Jewellers and Gold Federation (AIGJF) on Tuesday said that the decision, stating that customers whose faces are covered with hijabs, burqas, scarves, helmets, or similar items will not be allowed to enter jewellery showrooms unless their faces are visible.

According to the federation, jewellery purchases will only be permitted after proper facial identification.

Ashok Kumar Verma, State President of the All India Jewellers and Gold Federation, told IANS on Tuesday that Bihar has become the first state to formally implement such a rule statewide.

He clarified that the decision is purely based on security concerns and not targeted at any specific community.

“Today, the price of 10 grams of gold is around Rs 1.40 lakh, and one kilogram of silver costs about Rs 2.5 lakh. Several robbery incidents have occurred where people enter shops in groups with their faces fully covered. They wear helmets or veils and commit thefts. This decision is aimed at preventing such crimes,” Verma said.

Verma emphasised that the federation is not banning the burqa or hijab, but merely requesting customers to briefly show their faces while shopping.

He added that the rule applies equally to men who cover their faces with scarves or helmets.

“Our intention is not discrimination. When a customer and a shopkeeper interact face-to-face, a sense of trust is established,” he said, adding that the rule is for everyone, not any particular community.

Verma also stated that he had discussed the issue with the Patna City Central Superintendent of Police, who raised no objections.

He claimed similar precautionary measures are already being followed in some districts of other states.

Responding to questions about possible protests, Verma said there was no scope for controversy.

“No staff member will forcibly remove anyone’s hijab or burqa. We will only make a polite request. There is no question of confrontation,” he said.

The issue has sparked a broader debate in Bihar over the balance between security measures and religious freedom, with political reactions continuing to pour in.

–IANS

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AIADMK’s Palaniswami challenges DMK on NEET ‘cancellation’ strategy

Chennai, March 3 (IANS) AIADMK General Secretary and former Chief Minister, Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) has challenged Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin to disclose the “secret” they claim to possess for cancelling the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET).

In a post on social media platform X, EPS urged the ruling DMK to immediately reveal their strategy. “The #Daddy_Son duo should disclose their so-called NEET secret. If they fail to do so, they should admit that the DMK misled the public with false promises,” he stated.

EPS also demanded that the government take concrete steps to prevent NEET-related suicides.

His statement comes in the wake of the tragic death of Indhumathi, a 19-year-old student from Tindivanam in Villupuram district, who allegedly died by suicide due to fear of underperforming in the upcoming NEET exam.

Expressing his condolences to the bereaved family, EPS held the DMK government responsible for creating “false hopes” among students and keeping them in a state of confusion over NEET’s future.

The issue gained fresh momentum after Indhumathi, a student from Thadapuram village near Tindivanam, was found hanging at her home on March 1. She had completed her 12th grade from a government higher secondary school with good marks and had undergone NEET coaching at a private institute in Puducherry.

Last year, she attempted NEET but failed to qualify despite scoring 350 marks. Determined to clear the exam this time, she had been rigorously preparing and had recently obtained her OBC certificate, which she submitted along with her application.

On March 1, while her parents and brother were working in the fields, she took her own life. When they returned home in the evening, they found her hanging from the ceiling fan.

The family immediately informed the Velimedu Pettai police station, and officers arrived at the scene around 11 p.m. Her body was sent for post-mortem at Villupuram Government Medical College Hospital, and an investigation is currently underway.

The Tamil Nadu government has long opposed NEET, arguing that it disproportionately disadvantages students from economically weaker sections and Tamil-medium backgrounds.

In June 2024, the state Assembly passed a unanimous resolution against NEET, following controversies over leaked NEET-UG 2024 question papers and the postponement of NEET-PG 2024.

The ruling DMK and its allies have consistently demanded an exemption for Tamil Nadu from the national medical entrance exam.

In a May 15, 2024, editorial published in ‘Murasoli’, the DMK’s official newspaper, the party claimed that 119 NEET aspirants had died by suicide over the past eight years. The editorial emphasised that scrapping NEET was the only solution to prevent further student suicides and eliminate malpractices in the examination process.

Despite these efforts, the DMK has yet to fulfill its 2021 election promise of cancelling NEET, leading to renewed criticism from the Opposition.

With the AIADMK now demanding clarity, the political debate surrounding NEET continues to intensify in Tamil Nadu.

–IANS

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Not received death certificate yet: Murdered doctor’s parents accuse Mamata govt of passing the buck

New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) The parents of RG Kar Medical college doctor, who was raped and murdered on the hospital campus on August 9 last year, on Friday said that Mamata Banerjee-led state government is responsible for their daughter’s tragic fate. They also accused the state government of passing the buck and failing to deliver justice, even a year after the horrifying case of rape and murder that shook the entire nation.

The parents of the murdered woman doctor of R G Kar hospital said this after meeting the CBI director, regarding the ongoing probe into the crime. They recently traveled to Delhi to raise their concerns before the investigating agency.

“We met CBI Director Praveen Sood and discussed the verdict given by the Sealdah Court. We also sought clarity on what the CBI has done so far in the investigation and requested the director to ensure my daughter gets proper justice. The supplementary chargesheet, which was scheduled for submission in court, was also a point of discussion,” said the victim’s father.

Raising concerns over procedural delays, he added, “We have not even received my daughter’s death certificate yet, so we urged the CBI director to help us obtain it. He assured us of his support.”

The grieving parents slammed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her recent remarks, in which she accused the CBI of not handling the case properly. “Mamata Banerjee is misleading the people and voters. She never questioned why her own police failed to act promptly. Instead, she always blames the CBI and other agencies,” the father stated.

He also alleged that the state government deliberately tried to suppress the case. “Mamata Banerjee’s police did nothing for four days after my daughter’s death. She instructed all stakeholders to stay silent and even arranged for my daughter’s body to be cremated at 2:00 a.m. that night.”

Hinting at a larger conspiracy, he said that the Chief minister must take accountability for inordinate delay in justice.

“As both CM and health minister, she had the duty to ensure my daughter’s safety but failed. I believe there is a bigger plot behind this crime, and she is responsible for it.”

The body of the 31-year-old second-year postgraduate student, who was raped and murdered inside a seminar hall of the hospital, was found on August 9. The police later said that multiple lacerations and wounds were found on her body.

–IANS

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