Sitting amid the blackened remains of his home, 32-year-old Nikesh Gawali carefully broke open a half-melted plastic box with a screwdriver. His hands shook slightly, not out of fear, but out of hope. “I’m trying to find my daughter Aarti’s gold earrings,” he said quietly, still focused on the box. “She’s just five. I got them made recently after months of labour work.” The plastic box, warped and blackened by heat, was one of the few things left from his two-room house on the outskirts of Dhamangaon village . All around him lay ash, broken tin sheets and charred wooden beams. The walls had cracked under the heat and the front room’s tin roof had caved in completely. What remained was a blackened debris all around - almost nothing to suggest a home once stood there. Nikesh earns his living as an agricultural labourer, like many in the village. Work is uncertain and depends on the season. Those earrings weren’t just jewellery - they were a small dream, a reward for his hard work,...
AROUND five women, on an average, go missing from Nagpur city everyday, revealed a data of released by Nagpur Police as they managed to trace a big number of the missing women. In the first 10 months of 2022, Nagpur Police have succeeded in tracing out a total of 1,242 out of 1,382 missing women.
Area-wise numbers of missing people released by City Police showed that in Hudkeshwar Police Station jurisdiction total 98 women went missing. Of them, 87 have been traced by the police while 11 are still missing.
Kalamna police recorded 94 missing cases and are yet to trace the location of eight women. MIDC police reported 78 (5 not traceable) missing cases, followed by 73 (5) each in Pachpaoli and Jaripatka, 71 (3) in Ajni, 70 (5) in Gittikhadan, 66 (15) in Yashodhara Nagar, 57 (12) in Nandanvan, 56 (4) in Wathoda, 53 (4) in Wadi, 39 (5) in Sakkardara, 33 (1) in Hingna, 33 (1) in Mankapur, 33 (5) in Koradi, 31 (8) in Lakadganj, 31 (2) in Imambada, 30 (4) in New Kamptee, 27 (6) in Beltarodi, 26 (0) in Rana Pratap Nagar, 26 (6) in Kotwali, 25 (0) in Ambazari, 21 (4) in Ganeshpeth, 23 (3) in Tehsil, 21 (2) in Shanti Nagar, 18 (0) in Sitabuldi, 15 (1) in Dhantoli, 15 (1) in Old Kamptee, 15 (1) in Sadar, 12 (3) in Sonegaon and 9 (1) in Bajaj Nagar.
Highest number of women have gone missing from Hudkeshwar, Kalamna, MIDC, Pachpaoli and Jaripatka police station areas where sizeable number of labourers from other States are staying in slums.
Woman Police Inspector (WPI) and in-charge of Hudkeshwar Police Station Kavita Isarkar told ‘The Hitavada’ that domestic tiffs, not getting enough emotional support and financial issues are the major factors behind the missing woman cases. Many of these women return after realising their mistake, she said. In some cases, the police traced extra-marital affairs as the reason behind married women eloping with other persons, Isarkar said and added that the highest number of these missing women came from lower strata of the society. “After receiving a missing complaint, the police start searching on the basis of inputs received from the family members. The CCTV cameras are checked and Call Detail Records or mobile location is placed on the tracking,” she said.
Senior Adv Smita Singalkar commented that employment opportunities, relationships, education purpose are some factors behind rise in the number of missing women. “Sometimes, a woman leaves home to get her career on the right track as the family members do not allow her to live in other cities or states. These women want to lead an independent life and escape from their orthodox homes,” she said. Marriage with a boyfriend against wishes of family members is also seen as the reason in many such cases, she added.
Dr Adv Anjali Vitankar claimed that various factors are responsible for each age-group. In the 16-25 age-group, the women leave home for affairs or being lured by a boyfriend for marriage. In some cases, domestic tiffs or fights at home with parents are also the reason. “Domestic violence is seen as the main reason behind married women living in their home,” Adv Vitankar said and maintained that domestic violence or disregard by children was noticed as the reason behind aged-women living in their home. “Human trafficking angle should also be explored by the law enforcement agencies in these cases,” she demanded and suggested that missing women tracking portal and constitution of special task force are needed to solve the cases.
Sr WPI Shubhangi Deshmukh of Social Security Branch (SSB) opined that there were many reasons such as family disputes, relationships, and also financial problems. “Some women choose to simply walk away from their loved ones to get rid of problems. After realising the harsh reality of the world, a major chunk of these missing persons return home,” WPI Deshmukh said.
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