Fear for film promotion? BJP claims hype on missing cases in Delhi a paid campaign
Did the makers of a Hindi film deliberately amplify reports of missing children in Delhi? The BJP, echoing the Delhi Police's statement, has alleged that they did.
Over 500 women were among 800 people missing in Delhi in the first 15 days of 2026 -- that headline sent shockwaves across the country on Thursday. A day later, the claims unravelled, with the Delhi Police dismissing claims of a surge in missing cases as misleading and warning of strict action. Echoing the police’s position, the BJP alleged that the narrative was part of a paid campaign to promote a Hindi film.
“The claim that ‘so many children have gone missing from Delhi’ is being spread through a paid campaign to promote a Hindi film. The Delhi Police will obviously follow this up to its logical conclusion,” BJP IT cell chief Amit Malvya said, sharing a video that purported to explain the paid promotion angle.
Recent reports had claimed that as many as 807 people went missing in the national capital between January 1 and January 15, averaging around 54 cases a day. Of these, 509 were women and girls, and 298 were men. The data further claimed that 191 of the missing persons were minors.
On Friday morning, Delhi Police rubbished the claims. In a brief statement, it said: “After following a few leads, we discovered that the hype around the surge in missing girls in Delhi is being pushed through paid promotion. Creating panic for monetary gains won't be tolerated, and we'll take strict action against such individuals”.
Though Malvya did not name any film, the video he shared linked the reports to the Rani Mukerji-starrer Mardaani 3, which revolves around cases of mass disappearances. A vlogger featured in the video alleged that panic had to be created around the subject to ensure the film’s success.
“This was not a national emergency; this was a PR attempt where your fear has been weaponised,” the vlogger claimed.
He further alleged that the initial attempt was made in Mumbai and, after Mumbai Police intervened and acted swiftly against the purportedly false narrative, the focus shifted to Delhi.
However, the makers of Mardaani 3 have not commented on the allegations so far, neither denying nor acknowledging any purported PR attempt.
The Delhi Police sought to allay public concerns amid rising reports of missing persons in the national capital, assuring citizens that there is no cause for fear or panic, particularly with regard to children. Officials said there has been no spike in missing-person cases compared to previous years. In fact, January 2026 recorded fewer cases than the same period last year.
Releasing official data, Delhi Police said missing-person cases declined in January 2026 compared to the previous year. The figures show that the number of people reported missing in the city has remained largely stable over the past decade, with annual cases ranging between 23,000 and 24,000 since 2016, despite Delhi’s growing population.
In January 2026, a total of 1,777 missing-person cases were recorded, lower than the monthly average of around 2,000 cases in the capital.
Over 500 women were among 800 people missing in Delhi in the first 15 days of 2026 -- that headline sent shockwaves across the country on Thursday. A day later, the claims unravelled, with the Delhi Police dismissing claims of a surge in missing cases as misleading and warning of strict action. Echoing the police’s position, the BJP alleged that the narrative was part of a paid campaign to promote a Hindi film.
“The claim that ‘so many children have gone missing from Delhi’ is being spread through a paid campaign to promote a Hindi film. The Delhi Police will obviously follow this up to its logical conclusion,” BJP IT cell chief Amit Malvya said, sharing a video that purported to explain the paid promotion angle.
Recent reports had claimed that as many as 807 people went missing in the national capital between January 1 and January 15, averaging around 54 cases a day. Of these, 509 were women and girls, and 298 were men. The data further claimed that 191 of the missing persons were minors.
On Friday morning, Delhi Police rubbished the claims. In a brief statement, it said: “After following a few leads, we discovered that the hype around the surge in missing girls in Delhi is being pushed through paid promotion. Creating panic for monetary gains won't be tolerated, and we'll take strict action against such individuals”.
Though Malvya did not name any film, the video he shared linked the reports to the Rani Mukerji-starrer Mardaani 3, which revolves around cases of mass disappearances. A vlogger featured in the video alleged that panic had to be created around the subject to ensure the film’s success.
“This was not a national emergency; this was a PR attempt where your fear has been weaponised,” the vlogger claimed.
He further alleged that the initial attempt was made in Mumbai and, after Mumbai Police intervened and acted swiftly against the purportedly false narrative, the focus shifted to Delhi.
However, the makers of Mardaani 3 have not commented on the allegations so far, neither denying nor acknowledging any purported PR attempt.
The Delhi Police sought to allay public concerns amid rising reports of missing persons in the national capital, assuring citizens that there is no cause for fear or panic, particularly with regard to children. Officials said there has been no spike in missing-person cases compared to previous years. In fact, January 2026 recorded fewer cases than the same period last year.
Releasing official data, Delhi Police said missing-person cases declined in January 2026 compared to the previous year. The figures show that the number of people reported missing in the city has remained largely stable over the past decade, with annual cases ranging between 23,000 and 24,000 since 2016, despite Delhi’s growing population.
In January 2026, a total of 1,777 missing-person cases were recorded, lower than the monthly average of around 2,000 cases in the capital.