Operation Anweshan / Odisha Police Rescue Over 17,500 Missing Women, Children Under Operation Anweshan In Six Months

Bhubaneswar, Aug 2: Odisha Police rescued 17,590 missing women and children between January and June 2026 under the statewide Operation Anweshan, recovering more people than were reported missing during the six-month period. Puri emerged as the best-performing district in the special drive.

The operation, conducted under the direct supervision of Director General of Police (DGP) YB Khurania, was coordinated by the Crime Against Women and Children Wing (CAW & CW) in collaboration with district police units and law enforcement agencies in other states.

Over 5,400 Missing Children Traced
According to an official release, 4,873 children were reported missing in Odisha between January and June, including 538 boys, 4,334 girls and one transgender child.

During the operation, police traced and rescued 5,413 children, exceeding the number of fresh missing cases by locating several children who had gone missing before January.

Puri Tops Child Rescue List
Puri district recorded the highest number of child rescues with 1,161, followed by Bhubaneswar Urban Police District (UPD) with 399 and Mayurbhanj with 278.

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Police Rescue More Than 12,000 Missing Women
During the same period, 10,605 women were reported missing across the state.

Police rescued 12,177 women, surpassing the number of new missing cases by tracing women who had disappeared in previous months.

Puri Leads Women's Recovery
Among the districts, Puri topped the list with 3,713 women rescued, followed by Jajpur with 820 and Ganjam with 580.

With a combined recovery of 4,874 missing persons -- including 1,161 children and 3,713 women -- Puri emerged as the best-performing district under Operation Anweshan.

Special Five-Day Drive Rescued 2,755 Missing Persons
Police also highlighted the success of a special rescue drive conducted between July 18 and July 22, during which 321 children -- including 35 boys and 286 girls -- were rescued.

The operation also led to the recovery of 2,434 women, taking the total number of people rescued during the five-day drive to 2,755.