The 26 girls missing are from the Anchal Girls Hostel
The 26 girls reported missing from an illegal children's home in Bhopal have been found, said Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Saturday.
"The missing girls from the children's home are safe and have also been identified. Not a single culprit or negligent person will be spared," said the Chief Minister.
Earlier, former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had urged the state government for action in the case.
"The case of the disappearance of 26 girls from a children's home operating without permission in Parwalia police station area of Bhopal has come to my notice," Mr Chouhan said in a post on X.
"Considering the seriousness and sensitivity of the matter, I urge the government to take cognizance and take immediate action," he added.
In a video message, Bhopal (Rural) Superintendent of Police Pramod Kumar Sinha said the probe so far has revealed the girls may have left Anchal Children's Home in Parwalia area after feeling homesick.
The news of the disappearance of the girls has also been circulating on social media.
"Some girls who get themselves registered at the facility return home due to various reasons, including finding the stay uninteresting. The investigation so far shows they have returned to their homes. This is being verified further," the SP said in his video message.
When the team of Child Protection Commission reached the hostel, which is some 20 km from Bhopal, it found that the NGO was rescuing children and keeping them in the illegal children's home.
It is also alleged that girls were forced to practice Christian rituals at the hostel. Documents show that there are 68 registered children at the center.
National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) chief Priyank Kanoongo has sought a report from the Madhya Pradesh Chief Secretary within seven days.
An FIR was registered at Parwaliya Sadak Police Station in Bhopal on Thursday under sections of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.
The FIR further said that the children's home was not being run under the Juvenile Justice Act and was unregistered.