Devendra Fadnavis Presents Data on Missing Men and Women in Maharashtra

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis recently presented detailed statistical data in the state legislature explaining the reasons why men and women run away from home in the state. The official figures, which span the years 2021 to 2026, reveal that the vast majority of reported missing cases are voluntary departures rather than criminal abductions.

According to the data presented by the Chief Minister, a total of 2,34,811 women and 2,17,758 men went missing in Maharashtra during the five-year period between 2021 and 2026. Fadnavis stated that 93 percent of these missing individuals eventually returned to their homes.

The statistical breakdown highlights a stark difference in the motivations of men and women who choose to leave their homes. The primary reason for women running away was romantic relationships, with 46.32 percent of women leaving home for "love affairs." Additionally, 20 percent of women left due to "family problems," and two percent departed because of "mental stress."

For men, the leading cause of disappearance was domestic conflict. The data showed that 32 percent of men left their homes due to domestic issues or family problems. In comparison, only 9.12 percent of men ran away from home due to "love."

Fadnavis clarified that actual abductions are rare among the overall pool of missing person reports. "When it came to women, only 5.25 per cent of the total missing women were abducted while 4.47 per cent of kidnapping cases were related to abduction," Fadnavis said in the legislature. He added that in the rest of these cases, the individuals voluntarily fled from their homes due to personal reasons.

The presentation of this data follows prior concerns raised by political groups in the state. In the past, parties such as the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) have raised the issue of rising cases of missing children in Maharashtra.