'Operation Smile' traces 44 missing children in Uttarakhand

DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand police has traced 44 missing children from various parts of the state in the past week, as part of ' Operation Smile', out of which 31 children were united with their families.

As part of the Operation Smile, we traced 44 children, reported to be missing, from various areas of the state, in the past week, a press release by Uttarakhand police said today.

Out of the traced children, 31 were taken back to their families while the remaining 13 have been admitted to children's home for rehabilitation, it said.

Maximum number of children (17) were found from Haridwar followed by Tehri (5), Nainital (4), Bageshwar (4), Almora (4), Pauri (3), Pithoragarh (3), Uttarkashi (2) and Dehradun (2), police said.

Operation Smile, a drive started to trace missing children, was launched by the state police last year. The drive resumed from July 1 this year.