Fear for film promotion? BJP claims hype on missing cases in Delhi a paid campaign
India Today
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.
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. https://t.co/qHrT8X6vlq pic.twitter.com/D7YpipMNEw— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) February 6, 2026
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.
The Supreme Court was hearing West Bengal's objections to the maintainability of the ED plea filed under Article 32. The ED has sought a CBI probe into the alleged obstruction of its raids on I-PAC by Mamata Banerjee and her government.
While investigating, the police learnt that the gang lured victims with attractive social media advertisements and later duped them of a significant amount of money.
Harish Rana, India's 1st person to be allowed passive euthanasia, dies in AIIMS Delhi after 13 years in coma
The three were convicted earlier for their involvement in activities linked to Dukhtaran-e-Millat (DeM), a banned organisation that sought the secession of Jammu and Kashmir from India. It was founded by Andrabi.
PM Modi, in his Lok Sabha address, had urged unity and preparedness, warning that the conflict could have long-term global and economic impacts.
Lalu Yadav had argued that the FIR, the probe and the chargesheets in the land-for-job case were legally unsustainable, claiming that the CBI had not obtained prior sanction.
From a record outlay to a sweeping green push, Rekha Gupta lays out Delhi's roadmap with big allocations across sectors, while key claims and ambitious targets set the tone for the year ahead.
Proposed changes to the transgender law trigger outrage over exclusion, mandatory certification, and the rollback of self-identification rights.
India's artillery strength sees a steady build-up with new Pinaka regiments, but the bigger plan points to a much larger force and more advanced systems in the coming years.