Bhubaneswar, Sept 1: In a major breakthrough, the Odisha Police has successfully traced and rescued 2,417 missing persons during a five-day special operation titled ‘Operation Anweshan’, conducted across the state from August 18 to 22. The drive focused on locating missing children and women, many of whom had been unaccounted for over extended periods.

According to an official statement released on Monday, the operation led to the rescue of 358 children, including 33 boys and 325 girls, and 2,059 women. The initiative was spearheaded by the Crime Against Women and Children Wing and involved coordinated efforts across all districts.

Puri district emerged as the top performer, rescuing 45 children and 504 women, followed by Bhadrak with 37 children and 318 women, and Cuttack with 21 children and 304 women. The police confirmed that all rescued individuals have been safely reunited with their families.

This operation builds on earlier drives conducted in February, April, and May 2025, during which 6,667 missing women and 1,209 children (including 1,078 girls and 131 boys) were rescued. Odisha Police has affirmed that such rescue missions will continue in the coming months to address the growing concern over missing persons.

However, the issue remains politically charged. Opposition parties have criticized the current and previous governments over the scale of disappearances. The Indian National Congress previously alleged that 44,000 women and girls went missing during the BJD’s tenure (2000–2024), and 20,000 more during the first eight months of the BJP-led government.

Despite the political heat, Operation Anweshan has been widely acknowledged as a proactive step toward addressing human trafficking and missing persons cases in Odisha.