AHMEDABAD: Gujarat Police traced 500 missing children and adults in 10 days under the extended phase of Operation Milap, continuing its statewide drive against missing person cases.
The special drive was extended after the successful completion of the month-long Operation Milap. During the extended campaign from June 12 to June 21, police carried out field operations, technical investigations and interstate coordination to trace missing persons.
One of the major rescues involved a 14-year-old girl from Vadodara who had been missing since December 18, 2025, after disappearing from the Chhani area. When local police failed to trace her, the case was transferred to the Vadodara Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU).
Using technical surveillance and intelligence inputs, investigators traced the main accused, Sunilkumar Kesarisinh Bariya, to Shivamogga in Karnataka. Police alleged that he had lured the girl away, changed his identity after completing a Purohitya course in Jaipur, and was working as a priest at a Jain temple in Shivamogga, where he allegedly kept the minor after presenting her as his wife.
A five-member Vadodara AHTU team, including a woman police officer, travelled to Karnataka and, with the help of the local police, kept the temple under surveillance for two days. At around 4 am on the third day, the team arrested the accused and rescued the girl, who was later reunited with her family.
Additional Director General of Police (Women Cell, CID Crime) Ajay Choudhary said the campaign was extended following the success of its first phase.
"We extended Operation Milap for another 10 days after the successful completion of the month-long drive. During the extended campaign, conducted from June 12 to June 21, Gujarat Police traced 500 missing children and adults across the state and reunited each of them with their families. The campaign demonstrates our continued commitment to ensuring that every missing person case receives sustained attention until families are reunited," he said.
During the first phase of Operation Milap, conducted from May 7 to June 5, Gujarat Police traced 1,478 missing persons, including 857 women and 234 minor girls.
The extended drive resulted in the recovery of 500 missing persons, including 288 women, 88 girls, 21 boys and 103 men. Further efforts to trace missing persons are continuing.
