Bhubaneswar, May 8 -- More than 6,200 children went missing in Odisha in 2024, with girls accounting for nearly 87 per cent of the cases, according to the latest Crime in India 2024 report released by the National Crime Records Bureau.

The report stated that 6,223 children below the age of 18 were reported missing in the state last year, reflecting a 4.8 per cent rise from 5,938 cases recorded in 2023.

The figures indicate a sharp upward trend over the last five years. In 2020, Odisha had reported 2,899 missing children cases. Since then, the number has surged by more than 114 per cent, raising concerns among child rights groups and law enforcement agencies.

A closer look at the data reveals that adolescent girls continue to make up th...