Introduction

Every year, thousands of people go missing in India. This includes children, adults, older people, and people with mental health issues. In such cases, knowing how to file a missing person report in India is extremely important. Quick action can help bring your loved one home safely. Quick action can help bring your loved one home safely.

This article will help you know what you should do, whom you should contact, and what your legal rights are. It also features important platforms such as the NCRB missing persons portal, as well as the missing persons helpline in India.

What is a Missing Person Report?

A missing person report is a complaint someone files when they cannot find a person and cannot account for their whereabouts. This report notifies law enforcement to start searching for the man. It is quite an essential legal procedure that leads to a formal investigation.

Any person, such as a family member, friend, neighbor, co-worker, or even a stranger with concerns, can make a report of a missing person. The law does not insist that you wait 24 or 48 hours to declare someone missing. It is one of the popular myths. To the contrary, the faster you report it, the closer the likelihood of finding the person alive.

After they receive the report, the police inform neighbouring stations, search CCTV footage, visit hospitals, and begin the search process. By filling this report, you will also be able to access national databases of missing persons such as the NCRB missing persons portal, where one can add Photographs and information so as to connect to larger circles. This makes the case more visible and allows more room for recovery.

How to File a Missing Person Report in India: Step-by-Step

In the case that a loved one is lost and you want him or her back, time is of the essence. It is important to file the report as soon as possible in a bid to have a police response and extensive alerts. Here’s a detailed breakdown of how to file a missing person report in India with steps you must follow.

Visit the Nearest Police Station

The initial frame is to go down to the police station closest to the last seen spot of the individual. This section falls under the jurisdiction of the concerned police station, and the police officers at this station will take the first action.

Carry the following documents:

• Missed person photograph within the recent period
• Any government verification ID of the missing (when present)
• Your proof of identity
• A document showing your relationship, such as a birth certificate, Aadhar, or school records

The more information about you (the personal and the visual one) the police will have, the sooner they will be able to start searching for you.

Draft and Submit a Formal Complaint

You should prepare a formal letter of application in which you include all details. Your complaint should include:

• Full name, gender, and age of the missing person
• Last seen time, place, and date
• Physical looks (height, build, skin, hair, and others).
• What they wore in their disappearance
• Any known health, psychopathological conditions
• Any perceived threats, fighting, and/or possible motives to abandon

Be sure to state expressly that you are asking the police to report a FIR case of a missing person.

Insist on Registering the FIR

The filing of an FIR in regard to the lost person is legally obligatory on the part of the police. One does not have to wait before filing. If an officer denies help or takes too long, escalate the matter to the Station House Officer (SHO), the Superintendent of Police (SP), or file an online complaint.

You further have section 156(3) of the Criminal Procedure Code, which gives you the right to go to a local magistrate in case the police do not do anything.

Obtain a Copy of the FIR

After the FIR is recorded, request a print or copy in digital form. You have a legal right to get a copy of the missing person’s FIR. This document will help you follow up with police, legal authorities, or support agencies.

Call Online Portals and Helplines

Record the missing person records on the NCRB missing persons portal (https://www.trackthemissingchild.gov.in). With this portal, the citizen can upload photos and search national databases.

In addition, call the number of missing persons in India:

• 1098 (in the Case of Missing Children)
• 112 (emergency number in general)
• 100 (local  police officers)

These helplines are available 24 hours and can take up your case in case it is required.

All this will guarantee that you have taken all necessary efforts to power up the official search system. The most efficient way of bringing your loved one home is to act quickly and utilize as many resources there are.

How to Report a Missing Person Online – Step-by-Step Process

Nowadays, with the advent of the online age, you do not necessarily have to go to a police station physically. You can start in the form of the Internet even in case of failure to get to a station or the desire to proceed promptly. The NCRB missing persons portal has simplified the work of the government of India, as citizens can report and track missing people.

The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) formulated this formal portal to centralize the database of missing persons in India.

Here’s How to File a Missing Person Report in India Online:

Go to the Portal:

Visit the official site: https://www.trackthemissingchild.gov.in

Go to Citizen Services:

On the front page, go to the option of “Citizen services,” then on the dropdown menu, click on the option of Report Missing Person.

Complete the Form:

You will be requested to key in key information such as:

• First name, last name, and age of a missing person
• Sex, Alterations, and Personal Identifying Marks
• Missing date and location
• Presumable cause (supposedly)

Upload Photo:

Include a recent, well-lit photograph of the individual to enhance fingerprint identification throughout the police database.

Insert Your Contacts:

Give out your phone number, email address, and your address in order to be contacted easily by authorities.

Submit & Note Acknowledgment:

After making its submission, you will be allocated a reference or acknowledgment number. Retain it to track it later or make a follow-up.

This is an online procedure, which is an important element in how to file a missing person report in India, in case time is of the essence. It puts information directly into police and child protection networks across the country and gives greater visibility and quicker coordination.

Note that, on the part of minors, you can also call the helpline of missing persons in India through 1098 and, in addition, use this online tool.

☎️ Important Helpline for Missing Persons in India

These figures are helpful in the search process. Always save them.

In India, there is a round-the-clock helpline for missing persons. The call that can be made, the greater there is chance to be recovery.

Understanding Police Jurisdiction: Where to File the Report?

The aspect of police jurisdiction is imperative when learning how to file a missing person report in India. It would be best to report the report to the closest police office or station to the last known location from which a person has gone missing or where one has last seen the person. The police station claims jurisdiction over missing reports, and officers in this area play the main role in investigating the case.

But in case of doubt of jurisdiction or the incapability to appear, one can make the complaint at your local police station. In that instance, the police will either do what is required or send the report to the jurisdictional station.

If in case you experience confusion, you can also contact the helpline on missing persons in India 1098 (in the case of children) or 112 (general emergency) in order to receive immediate assistance and provide insight.

In your complaint, always state the place of disappearance. The entry of this data will make sure that it is forwarded to the right station and make the procedure faster.

This forms a major part of the process of how to file a missing person report in India through the online or offline mode.

Legal Rights of Citizens in Missing Person Cases

When you are wondering how to file a missing person report in India, you have to understand your legal rights. The act gives each citizen the authority to take effective action, should anyone known to him/her go missing. Secondly and most importantly is that, the police have a legal obligation to document a First Information Report (FIR) under Section 154 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).

There is no need to wait 24 hours or 48 hours to make a report. That is a myth. As soon as you suspect that someone is missing, go to the nearby police station and insist that the police register an FIR on the missing person. In case the missing person is under the age of 18, it is automatically a cognizable offense, such as kidnapping or trafficking, and the police have to begin an investigation immediately.

After the filing of the FIR, you are entitled to get a copy of the FIR as per the law, free of cost. You are also provided with regular reports on the investigation progress. In case the police are not willing to accept your complaint, then you can take it higher to the Superintendent of Police or even petition the magistrate.

Or you might also call the helpline of missing persons in India: 1098 (in case of missing children) or 112 (in case of emergency). Knowledge of exercising your rights wisely is a tool to get the case taken seriously and action taken fast.

Awareness of these rights helps families confidently and efficiently file a report on the loss of a person, both offline and online.

What Happens After You File the Report?

As soon as an FIR is successful with regards to a missing person at the police station or with the missing persons portal on the NCRB, the process of investigation will commence immediately. This is one of the most important following-up steps of the procedure of how to file a missing person report in India, not only the report, but the coordination and follow-up.

First, the police notify all the adjacent police stations, outposts, and checkpoints to broadcast information regarding the lost individual. Authorities can issue the Look-Out Notice and scan CCTV footage in the person’s last known location, such as streets, shops, public transport areas, and neighboring houses.

Police in most cases make checks at railway stations, bus depots, and airports, so as to track any movements. In case of necessity, you can escalate the case and present it to the police departments of the neighboring districts or states.

Information is fed into the NCRB missing portal on the Internet as well as other national databases in order to expand the network of searches. In case the individual is a child, they will also inform the child welfare services and create awareness of Child (1098).

Authorities recommend that you regularly follow up by visiting the investigating officer or calling the missing persons helpline in India (dial 112 or 1098 for children). Do not think that the police will inform you. Acting proactively helps ensure that the case is not forgotten and increases the chances of achieving results.

This whole thing is a critical component of the knowledge of knowing how to file a missing person report in India, as well as trace the reports of a missing person in India.

What If Police Refuse or Delay the FIR?

Although the law in India distinctly states that the police have no option but to register an FIR of a missing person without delay, there are sad moments when police officers might decline the same or even delay the registration. This kind of refusal is not only unethical, it is also illegal and against your basic rights.

To know about your rights is an important prologue in case you are serious about knowing how to file a missing person report in India and have an investigation early enough. This is what can be done in case the local police station refuses to cooperate:

Contact Senior Police Officers

In case your local station denies filing of an FIR, pursue the case to a higher level. You can approach the Superintendent of Police (SP), Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), or, in other districts, the Commissioner of Police. Write a complaint and indicate the refusal of the police.

Make a Written Complaint

Write a formal complaint and post it through registered mail or by email to the top echelons of the police force. Complete the date, time, the information of the city police station, and the name of the police officer who turned you down.

Use Online Complaint Platforms

The majority of the Indian states provide their citizen with the opportunity to file police related complaints on the major part of the state police websites. You can also file a complaint directly on the Central Government Public Grievance Portal at https://pgportal.gov.in, stating that the police rejected your missing person case FIR and requesting immediate action.

Approach a Magistrate Under Section 156(3) CrPC

Failing all chances, Section 156 (3) of the Criminal Procedure Code always leaves you with the opportunity of approaching a Judicial Magistrate or a Metropolitan Magistrate. Under this, a magistrate has the power to order the police to file an FIR and investigate it.

Contact NHRC or State Human Rights Commissions

If the authorities violate basic rights and the helplines for missing persons in India fail to help, you can approach the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) or the State Human Rights Commission for support. Such institutions can pursue the issue in the court of law and invite law enforcement to give clarifications.

You must remember that filing an FIR for a missing person is your constitutional right, and the police cannot reject it. This keeps you informed on what the choices are so as to be able to proceed with excruciating the knowledge on how to file a missing person report in India even despite the opposition.

Missing Foreign Nationals in India: What to Do

Foreign nationals—such as tourists, students, or foreign workers—create urgent situations when they go missing in India, due to the diplomatic, security, and legal implications involved.

The mechanism of how to file a missing person report in India is not different as compared to the domestic cases, with a few additions.

Now this is what has got to be done:

File an FIR for a Missing Person

Report the case at the closest police station that has jurisdiction over the area where the person was last seen. The police station’s jurisdiction on missing reports becomes especially important in densely populated or tourist-heavy locations.

Inform the FRRO (Foreigners Regional Registration Office)

This would leave no option but to involve the FRRO, as it maintains records of foreign nationals residing in India on a long-term basis (such as students and workers).

Notify the Embassy or Consulate

Reach the embassy or the consulate of your country. This guarantees diplomacy and cross-border investigation.

Register the Case on the NCRB Missing Persons Portal

You should upload all the known information on the NCRB missing persons portal to turn it into a national tracking tool and raise awareness.

Contact the State-Level Helpline for Missing Persons in India

Most of the states have their own helplines or cyber cells to report the missing person and trace the person.

Such cases are supposed to be approached critically and fast by the police authorities. The local law enforcement, immigration, and diplomatic missions create the coordination that hastens the resolution and the scope of coverage along networks.

Real-Life Cases That Made a Difference

Once a beloved one goes missing, time is running out. Timely action and awareness of legal rights can make a difference. The two real-life success stories below illustrate how people achieved positive outcomes by using the appropriate channels—filing an FIR for a missing person, taking proper steps when delays occurred, and posting the information on the NCRB missing persons portal.

Case 1: Missing Child Recovered via NCRB Portal

The case of a Delhi family shows how backward the modern world can still be—their son went missing on his way home from school, and no one ever saw him again.

The parents did not lose time and came to their local police station to report an FIR on a missing person. In addition to this, they posted the child’s photograph, description, and other information on the NCRB missing persons portal, a centralized database linked to similar cases across India.

Within just 72 hours, the portal matched the child’s details with information entered by the Rajasthan police, who had found the boy loitering at a railway station. He had unknowingly boarded the wrong train. The NCRB system and the swift coordination among state police departments ensured the boy’s safe return home.

As this case shows, taking a report wastes no time, and the technology-assisted instruments help to get a solution to a happy outcome sooner.

Case 2: FIR Refusal and Magistrate Intervention in Uttar Pradesh

A young woman was missing on the college campus of Uttar Pradesh. Local police declined to lodge the FIR when her family tried to rush to the police station to register the missing exercise, citing that she might have bought off on her own free will. Knowing their rights, the family moved to a magistrate through Section 156(3) of the Criminal Procedure Code. The magistrate instructed the police at once file the FIR.

After that, a group of officers went scanning CCTV images in the vicinity. During the videos, CCTV footage caught the woman taking a local rickshaw with a stranger. This pertinent clue later helped authorities locate her in a nearby town. Although delays might have caused the police to lose valuable time, the family insisted on continuous efforts and ultimately ensured that justice was served.

These are the cases that show that the availability of knowledge on how to file a missing person report in India, applying such services as the NCRB missing persons portal, and fixing legal procedures in case of failure to act can mean the difference between locating lost loved ones and not locating them.

Tools and Apps That Can Help

Modern technology has made it possible to provide families with high-tech digital tools that can be handy during the most important hours when a person might be missing. Whether it’s tracking data, vehicle movement, or registering complaints online, these resources simplify the process of how to file a missing person report in India and enhance the chances of recovery.

TrackChild Portal

The Ministry of Women and Child Development manages this government site and directly links it to the NCRB missing men site. It assists in tracking down any lost and found children within India in real time.

CCTNS (Crime and Criminal Tracking Network System)

A national network in which data is shared and made available through all the police departments. It is a crucial part in connecting FIRs and monitoring individuals across state lines.

mParivahan App

If the missing person has a registered vehicle, you can use this application to track the vehicle’s last known location and help the police trace its movement

Aarogya Set App

The application may help locate the person’s last recorded position if they connected their mobile phone to it, although the developers first designed it to track health.

These are the tools that increase the effectiveness of the classical method of filling in an FIR on a missing person and make it data-driven.

Myths Around Filing Missing Reports

Common myths usually delay or deter people into action. These myths may limit the possibility of a successful search.

• You cannot wait but 24 hours -False. No waiting is required; the report should be filed.
• Family is the only person allowed to report– False. Friends, neighbors, or anyone aware of the disappearance can file the report.
• Police will not take any action unless it is a crime -Incorrect. A person’s unexplained absence is enough to register a case.
• Online complaints aren’t valid – Untrue. The portal application available in NCRB in the category of missing persons is an authoritative and efficient reporting medium.

Myths need not deter you from making life-saving, timely actions.

Sample Format: Missing Person Complaint

If you’re not sure how to draft the complaint, here is a sample format:

To,
The Officer-in-Charge,
[Police Station Name]

Subject: FIR for Missing Person

I wish to report that my [relation], [Full Name], aged [Age], has been missing since [Date & Time].

Last seen at [Location], wearing [Clothes]. He/she suffers from [Medical Condition, if any].

Please register a missing person complaint and start the investigation.

Yours sincerely,
[Your Name & Contact Details]

Conclusion

It might appear to be too much to report a missing person. However, using the correct information, you can move fast and lawfully.

This instruction will help you understand how to file a missing person report in India, what actions you should take, where you should go, and whom you should contact.

Take no time in making a start. Use every available help, such as the NCRB portal on missing persons, the missing persons helpline in India, and the local police. Find out the local jurisdiction of the police station to report a missing person and demand to file an FIR missing person.

The sooner the report is received, the greater the probability of locating your loved one alive.

References:

• https://restthecase.com/knowledge-bank/how-to-file-fir-for-missing-person
• https://everythingaboutlaw.quora.com/Police-and-Law-Enforcement-What-is-the-procedure-to-file-missing-person-report-in-India
• https://usefulletter.blogspot.com/2016/09/sample-letter-of-complaint-in-case-of.html
• https://www.svtuition.com/2021/12/how-to-write-fir-for-missing-person.html