Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told the State legislature that a majority of missing person cases do not involve abduction, with the reasons for leaving home differing between men and women. His statement was based on data from 2021 to 2026.

According to the Chief Minister, 46.32% of women who went missing left home for romantic relationships. In contrast, 32% of men who went missing cited domestic issues as the reason. The data also showed that 9.12% of men left for romantic reasons, while 20% of women reported family problems as their cause. Mental stress was cited by 2% of women.

Mr. Fadnavis said that in cases of missing minors, the instances of actual abduction were limited. He stated that 5.25% of all missing women were abducted, while 4.47% of kidnapping cases involved abduction. He asserted that in the remaining instances, the individuals had left their residences voluntarily.

The State recorded 2,34,811 missing women and 2,17,758 missing men during this period. The Chief Minister added that 93% of these individuals returned home.

On the subject of the State’s judicial performance, Mr. Fadnavis provided data on conviction rates. He stated that the conviction rate as of May 2026 was 52.6%. This figure represents an increase from 44.2% in the previous year and 9.4% in 2011–12.

The Chief Minister attributed the previous low rate to older laws. He expressed the state’s aim to achieve a 70% conviction rate under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

The Chief Minister also detailed the State’s compliance with provisions of the BNS. He said e-sakshya, the recording of witness testimony on camera, has been followed in 90% of cases. Forensic vans were dispatched to crime scenes in serious offences in 91.9% of cases as mandated.

On the filing of chargesheets, Mr. Fadnavis noted that they have been filed within the mandated 60 or 90 days in half of the cases. In rape cases, chargesheets were filed within 60 days in 90% of the instances.

Published - July 22, 2026 12:45 pm IST