New Delhi: For some families, the wait lasted weeks. For others, it stretched across years, with a missing relative living under another name in a care home because they could no longer tell anyone who they were or where they came from.
Delhi Police’s Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU), Crime Branch, said it traced 13 missing people—six minors and seven vulnerable or specially-abled persons—during a 21-day special drive and helped establish contact with their families or the investigating authorities handling their cases.
The cases, detailed in a Crime Branch press release dated September 23, ranged from children found alone at railway stations to adults with mental-health or cognitive conditions who had spent years in shelters without being able to provide their names or addresses.
A name restored after nearly four years
One of the longest separations involved Hemant, who had been missing from Kalyanpuri since August 2022. Police said he was earlier found near Bank of Baroda in Saraswati Vihar in an abandoned and helpless condition. Unable to share his identity, he was admitted to Apna Ghar Ashram and lived there under the name “Vijay”.
Nearly four years later, his younger brother Narendra and uncle Ramdas were taken to the ashram for identification. They recognised him as Hemant, after which his identity was formally established and he was taken to Kalyanpuri police station for the required legal process.
Another man, referred to as Kunal in the release, had been missing from Ghaziabad since June 2024. Because he could not disclose his identity when he was found, an ashram had recorded him as “Munna”. His father later recognised him at Apna Ghar Ashram in Punjab Khor, and the two were reunited after verification.
An injured father identified over video call
The drive also connected a Delhi family with 70-year-old Hardayal Singh, who had left his New Ashok Nagar home on August 3. According to the release, he was found injured in Ajmer on September 13 and treated for a fractured leg before being admitted to Apna Ghar Ashram.
AHTU personnel matched his photograph and physical description. His daughter Gurpreet identified him as her father during a video call, giving the family confirmation after weeks of uncertainty.
In another case, an 85-year-old woman from Agra was found near Metro Pillar No. 33 in the Mandir Marg area. She could not provide her address and was moved to an ashram for care. Her son identified her through a video call, police said.
Children traced through shelters and case records
The six minors included children found unattended at Old Delhi and New Delhi railway stations and at Kashmiri Gate bus stand. Police said their details were matched with missing-person reports from Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. The children were produced before the Child Welfare Committee where required, and further handover or legal proceedings were carried out through the investigating officers.
One 12-year-old boy with a cognitive disability, reported missing from Subhash Place, was found wandering in Pitampura and placed at Asha Kiran Children’s Home. His mother, maternal aunt and the complainant later identified him there. Another child’s identity was verified through records after he had moved between care homes following an earlier disappearance during a hospital visit.
21 DAYS, 13 LIVES REUNITED — AHTU, Crime Branch, Delhi traced 13 missing persons, including six minors and seven vulnerable or specially-abled persons.
— Crime Branch Delhi Police (@CrimeBranchDP) September 23, 2026
How the tracing operation worked
The Crime Branch said the team used technical surveillance, field intelligence, manual enquiries and coordination with police stations, Child Welfare Committees, Childline personnel and shelter homes in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan.
The operation was conducted by a team comprising Inspector Mukesh Kumar, ASI Ajay Kumar Jha and Woman Constable Mintu under ACP Suresh Kumar, according to the release issued by DCP Crime Branch Chandra Kumar Singh.
The official release contains one inconsistent reference to 14 victims in its introduction. However, its headline, summary, 13 numbered case accounts and the Crime Branch’s X post all state that 13 people were traced. This report uses the supported total of 13.
