869 devotees still missing, family members appeal in video messages

Video messages of desperate people searching for their near and dear ones, missing from Mahakumbh 2025 are making rounds on the social media groups.
For instance a video message of Dr Pankaj Kishore (47), a dentist by profession and a resident of Vaishali district in Bihar said that his wife Preeti Kishore (44) went missing after the duo bathed in Sangam on February 20, 2024 at 7pm. He searched for his wife for three days in mela area after which he lodged a case with the Kotwali police station at Parade ground in mela. Since then, he has been searching for Preeti.
He saidinformed that his son was a second year student of Bachelor of Dental Surgery and that after passing of over 16 days, he was also upset about no news of his mother. He has appealed to give information on mobile number 9801198334.
Similarly, another appeal through a video message circulated by family members of one Ajay Pandey, resident of Virar Amla village under Amba Police station in Aurangabad district of Bihar, mentions of a reward of Rs 21000 for anyone who would give information about Ajay Pandey.
In the video, the aggrieved family members claimed that Ajay Pandey had gone to Mahakumbh on February 16, 2025 and after bathing at Sangam, Pandey while returning back home went missing from Naini railway station the same day. The family members of Pandey with folded hands holding posters request to provide information about Ajay on mobile number 9101689115, as the entire family was disturbed for past 20 days.
Records of the Digital Koya Paya Kendra set up in the mela revealed that a significant 869 devotees who had arrived in the 45-day Mahakumbh were still missing. All the unresolved files of missing devotees have been transferred to three police stations of Prayagraj Commissionerate including Kydganj, Daraganj and Jhunsi, situated on the periphery of the mela area.
As per the data of Digital Khoya Paya Kendra, devotees displaced on all the three Amrit Snans of Makar Sankranti, Mauni Amavasya and Basant Panchami, had been reunited with their family members during the mela period itself while 869 devotees who had got displaced from their families during normal days were yet to be resolved.
Records of the Digital Koya Paya Kendra made available revealed, out of the total 35,952 complaints of devotees lost during the 45-day long mela, 35,383 devotees had been reunited with their families.
On January 13, the commencement of the mela with the first bathing of Paush Purnima besides on the first Amrit Snan of Makar Sankranti on January 14 and its subsequent day on January15, a total of 598 complaints of devotees lost in the mela were registered at the Khoya Paya Kendra. All the complaints were resolved successfully.
Further, with the second Amrit Snan of Mauni Amavasya held on January 29, between January 28 and 30, a maximum of 8725 devotees were separated from their families. All these complaints were also resolved successfully, revealed official data.
Likewise, with the third and last Amrit Snan of Basant Panchami being held on February 3, between February 2 and 5, 2025, a total of 864 complaints had been received at the Kendra which too were resolved during mela period.
As per SSP, Mahakumbh, Rajesh Diwedi, all the unresolved files of devotees lost in mela area have been transferred to three police stations of Kydganj, Daraganj and Jhunsi for further follow up.
Members of Ajay Pandey requesting with his poster in the video message.