Shimla, Oct. 23 -- In line with the Supreme Court's directions, the Himachal Pradesh Police has strengthened its mechanism for reporting, investigating and tracing missing persons, particularly women and children. In a statement, the state police said that it had achieved an overall tracing rate of 88.7% during January-September 2026, reflecting sustained efforts to locate missing persons and reunite them with their families. In its judgment on May 22, 2026, the top court had emphasised the immediate registration of FIRs on receiving information about missing persons, without insisting upon any waiting period. Acting on these directions, the HP Police issued instructions to all field units on June 6, 2026, mandating immediate FIR registration, prompt search operations, special attention to missing children and regular supervisory monitoring. Between January 1 and September 30, a total of 893 FIRs involving 1,328 missing persons were registered across the state. Of these, 88.7% of missing persons have been successfully traced, while efforts continue to trace the remaining persons. Of the total missing persons reported, 61.6% were adults and 38.4% were children. HTC...