Tuesday, 15 October 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN
In a bid to trace missing people across Uttarakhand, the police will launch Operation Smile from October 15 for two months. This will mark the 14th iteration of the initiative since its inception in 2015. The campaign was conducted from May 1 to June 30 earlier this year during which 1,370 missing individuals were recovered. A total of 5,981 people have been traced up since its launch that include 2,951 children, 1,721 women and 1,309 men.
The officiating director general of police Abhinav Kumar issued directions to restart the campaign on Monday. It will be overseen by superintendent of police (Crime) of police headquarters and nodal officer of the campaign Vishakha Ashok Bhadane. Beside this, respective assistant superintendents or deputy superintendents of police will serve as nodal officers in all districts. Districts such as Dehradun, Haridwar, Nainital and Udham Singh Nagar will each deploy five search teams while other districts will have one search team. Each team will consist of a sub inspector and four constables, with at least one female officer assigned to conduct interviews with recovered women and children.
The officials said that search efforts will focus on locations where missing individuals are more likely to be found, such as shelter homes, women’s shelters, old age homes, juvenile homes, factories, bus stations, railway stations, religious places, ashrams, and dharamshalas. Due procedures will be followed for the handover and rehabilitation of individuals upon recovery. Authorities will conduct interviews with children and women in accordance with established protocols and any information suggesting criminal activity will result in appropriate legal action, the officials added.
