Operation Anweshan: Odisha Police rescues over 2,400 missing persons in 5 days

In a major breakthrough, the Odisha Police has successfully rescued around 2,417 missing persons, including 358 children, within just five days as part of its special initiative Operation Anweshan, official sources said on Monday.

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Launched by the Crime Against Women & Children Wing (CAW&CW)-Odisha, the operation was conducted across Odisha from August 18 to 22. The mission focused on tracing and reuniting missing children and women with their families.

According to official data, 33 missing boys and 325 girls were rescued, along with 2,059 women, during this brief but intense operation. All rescued individuals have been safely handed over to their families.

Puri district recorded the highest number of rescues, with 45 children and 504 women traced. This was followed by Bhadrak, where 37 children and 318 women were rescued, and Cuttack, where 21 children and 304 women were brought back.

The recent operation is part of a larger series of state-wide rescue drives carried out in February, April, May, and August. So far in 2025, the Odisha Police has rescued a total of 1,209 missing children and 6,667 women.

This commendable effort highlights the Odisha Police’s commitment to child and women's safety and its growing capability to execute time-bound rescue missions.

“A special drive to trace and rescue the missing children and women named Operation Anweshan was conducted throughout Odisha under the initiative of Crime Against Women and Children Wing, Odisha, from 18.08.2025 to 22.08.2025,” an official communiqué said.

“Such campaigns will continue in the coming days,” the communiqué asserted.