What’s happening in Davanagere
Over the past three years, police data from the Davanagere district shows that:
- 1,586 women and 191 girls were reported missing.
- Of these, 1,525 women and 179 girls were successfully traced and found.
- However, 61 individuals remain untraced — including women and girls — and this growing number is worrying investigators and civil society. The Times of India+1
📈 Trends in the unresolved cases
The number of untraced women has steadily increased year by year:
- 2023: 13 women remained missing
- 2024: 14
- By mid-2025: 34 still unlocated
Among girls, untraced numbers also rose — one in 2023, three in 2024, and eight by July 2025 — though overall fewer than women.
🚨 Why police and community are concerned
Local law-enforcement officials say many missing cases stem from non-criminal causes such as family disputes, financial issues, or personal relationships. Many of those eventually found had left on their own due to such pressures. But cases believed to involve abduction or trafficking are notably harder to resolve; people thought to be caught in trafficking networks are rarely located.
Because of the unresolved cases, human trafficking is a major concern among authorities, activists, and victims’ families — especially when women or children disappear with no trace or leads.
🔍 Police response
To address this, the Davanagere police have:
- Formed dedicated teams under each police station to actively investigate and trace missing women and children.
- Directed officers to treat missing-person cases as active investigations, not closed files.
