Status of 52 missing persons in Baitadi remains unknown over three years

Baitadi: The fate of 52 individuals who went missing in Baitadi over the past three years remains unresolved.

According to the District Police Office, a total of 342 people went missing in Baitadi, which shares a border with India, during this period. Of these, 105 went missing in the fiscal year 2079/80, 115 in 2080/81, and 122 in 2081/82, said District Police Office spokesperson Balram Pandey.

Out of the 342 missing persons, 290 have been located. Spokesperson Pandey stated that 91 of the 105 missing in 2079/80, 113 of the 115 missing in 2080/81, and 86 of the 122 missing in the last fiscal year have been found.

The status of 52 people—including 14 from 2079/80, 2 from 2080/81, and 36 from 2081/82—remains unknown. Pandey noted that a significant portion of the missing are women and children. In the last fiscal year alone, 55 women, 27 boys, 29 girls, and one senior citizen were reported missing.

The police attribute the rise in missing cases to underreporting at the time of disappearance, the district’s open border with India, and misuse of social media. Many missing individuals are believed to have crossed into India.

Authorities have also been actively rescuing citizens in distress. In the last fiscal year, five women, two boys, and three girls were rescued and reunited with their families. The police further noted that children attempting to cross into India at a young age are frequently intercepted and returned safely.