For a family in Gujarat’s Vadodara, the past five months were filled with anxiety after their 14-year-old daughter went missing. Gujarat Police came to their aid, travelling nearly 1,200 km to Karnataka to rescue the girl and reunite her with her family.

The rescue was carried out during the extended phase of Operation Milap, a statewide campaign to trace missing children and adults. The campaign was extended for 10 days after its initial phase. Police said they traced 500 missing children and adults during the extended drive held from June 12 to June 21.

The girl went missing from the Chhani area of Vadodara on December 18, 2025. The case was initially investigated by the local police and was later transferred to the Vadodara Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU).

According to the police, investigators used technical surveillance and intelligence inputs to trace the accused, Sunilkumar Kesarisinh Bariya, to Shivamogga in Karnataka. Police alleged that he had lured the minor girl away. After completing a Purohitya course in Jaipur, he assumed a new identity and began working as a pujari at a Jain temple in Shivamogga. Police alleged that he kept the girl at the temple after introducing her as his wife.

A five-member team from the Vadodara AHTU, including a woman police officer, travelled to Karnataka. With assistance from the local police, the team kept watch on the temple for two days. On the third day, at around 4 a.m., the accused was arrested when he arrived at the temple. During interrogation, he disclosed the girl’s location, following which the police rescued her and reunited her with her family.

Additional Director General of Police (Women Cell, CID Crime), Ajay Choudhary, said that Operation Milap was extended by 10 days after the completion of the month-long campaign. He said that Gujarat police traced 500 missing children and adults during the extended phase.

Police said that during the first phase of Operation Milap, conducted between May 7 and June 5, they traced 1,478 missing persons, including 857 women and 234 minor girls.

During the extended campaign, police traced 500 missing persons, including 288 women, 88 girls, 21 boys and 103 men, and reunited them with their families.