The National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, had, on Wednesday, issued notices to the Government of Tamil Nadu over the increasing number of missing children in the state.

Quoting a report that the number of missing children in Tamil Nadu has increased from 441 in 2014 to 656 in 2015, the Commission pointed out that since the beginning of 2016, 58 children have been reported missing in Chennai alone. The state capital saw the number of missing children increase from 114 in 2014 to 149 in 2015.

With most of the missing children belonging to the lower income group, the Commission hinted at callousness on the part of the police to search for them.

Suspecting that large and organized gangs were involved in the kidnapping of children, child prostitution, begging, and illegal adoption rings, the commission pointed out that if the report was true, it “raise serious issue of violation of human rights of the victim children and their parents.”

The commission has issued notices to the Chief Secretary, Government of Tamil Nadu, and the Director General of Police, demanding detailed reports in four weeks.