Families grapple with surge in missing loved ones

Kathmandu, Aug. 18: Many people across the country are in deep pain as they search for their loved ones in vain, amid surging disappearances in recent years. From young students to retired soldiers and from housewives to the elderly, individuals vanish without a trace, leaving families buried in anguish and unresolved questions.

Roshan Tiwari, 22, has been missing for eight months from Kageshwari Manohara, Kathmandu. A recent high school graduate preparing to go abroad, he was last seen in Mulpani. Despite police circulars issued nationwide and reports of him being seen as far as Birgunj, his father, Dilli Prasad Tiwari, said the family remains without answers. “We searched everywhere, from relatives to possible acquaintances—but we still have no trace of our son,” he lamented.

A similar story haunts one family in Butwal, where 40-year-old retired army serviceman Gana Bahadur BK disappeared four months ago. Despite widespread newspaper and social media notices and a reward announced by his brother, no information has surfaced. His wife, Dhanmaya Karki, remains heartbroken, still waiting for his return.

In Kavrepalanchok, a Sapkota family continues to grapple with an unresolved absence that spans more than a decade. Eleven years ago, Ram Prasad Sapkota left home saying he was heading to India in search of work, but he never came back. His son, Samir, recalled the unfulfilled promise with bitterness, while his elderly grandmother and mother still endure the trauma of his disappearance.

In Jhapa, 28-year-old hair saloon worker Rajesh Hajam vanished three months ago after receiving a phone call. His father, Bhim, continues to roam markets and alleys with his son’s photograph, pleading for information. Rajesh, the sole breadwinner of his family, has left them in precarious situation.

These individual tragedies mirror a nationwide crisis. Police data show that 68,312 people have gone missing over the past four fiscal years starting from 2021/22 to 2024/25. 

The highest figure was recorded in 2024/25, when 23,621 disappearances were reported, far exceeding the totals of previous years.

The figures continue to reveal troubling trends as in the fiscal year 2021/22, just over 15,000 people were reported missing, including 7,141 women and 4,484 children. In 2022/23, the number rose slightly to 15,245. Likewise, in the year 2023/24, disappearance reports dropped to 14,389 but in 2024/25, the number spiked dramatically to 23,621, comprising 10,694 women, 7,232 children, and 5,509 men with 186 senior citizens. Although police report that about 81 per cent of missing persons are eventually located, nearly one in five remain untraced. Many are later discovered in ashrams, living on the streets, or, tragically, having ended their lives. Others are suspected of falling victim to trafficking or exploitative labour networks abroad.

Deputy Inspector General Binod Ghimire of Nepal Police attributes the phenomenon to family disputes, mental health struggles, neglect of the elderly and disabled, unemployment, and, increasingly, financial traps such as online gambling scams. “Some vanish under emotional distress, while others disappear in pursuit of uncertain dreams, like seeking opportunities in entertainment industries,” he said.