In a story of incredible hope and perseverance, a 53-year-old woman from Uttar Pradesh, who had been missing since 2008 and was long presumed dead by her family, was finally reunited with her loved ones this week at the Regional Mental Hospital (RMH) in Nagpur.
A Disappearance and a Long Search
The woman, a resident of Deoria district in Uttar Pradesh, vanished in 2008. Her family filed a police complaint, but as the years passed with no leads, they gradually lost all hope of ever seeing her again. Tragically, her young daughter, who was only six years old at the time, was with her when she disappeared from her parental home. The current whereabouts of the daughter remain a complete mystery.
The woman's journey to Nagpur began when Tehsil police rescued her and, following orders from the chief judicial magistrate, admitted her to the Regional Mental Hospital on April 21, 2017. She was identified as intellectually challenged, exhibiting stubborn behaviour, limited speech, and a faded memory, which made tracing her origins extremely difficult for authorities.
The Painstaking Path to Identification
For years, progress was slow. Despite continuous treatment that gradually improved her condition, identifying her family seemed an insurmountable task. Social service superintendent Kunda Bidkar Katekhaye led relentless efforts, piecing together sparse clues over many months. The team faced numerous obstacles, including technical hurdles, frequent transfers of officers, incorrect contact details, and coordination issues, which delayed progress for over half a year.
A crucial breakthrough came in July of this year when the woman dropped a hint about a railway station near her village. Acting on this clue, Katekhaye approached Deoria SP Sanjeev Suman, who assured full cooperation. With the help of police from Khukhundu police station and inspector Kalyan Singh Sagar and head constable Sanjay Kumar from Rudrapur police station, a wider search in the Deoria district was initiated.
Emotional Reunion and a New Search Begins
The search proved successful, and the woman's husband and brother were located. After verifying her identity through phone counselling, they rushed to Nagpur. On Wednesday, an overwhelming emotional reunion took place at the RMH, where the brother and husband broke down in tears upon seeing her alive after 15 years of fruitless searching.
The family took her home on Thursday. However, the joy of the reunion was tempered by profound sorrow and concern. The mood turned sombre as the family realised there was still no clue about the missing daughter, whose fate is now a central concern. The RMH authorities, who only learnt about the daughter a day before the reunion, have joined the family in their efforts to locate her.
The husband made a heartfelt plea to Katekhaye, saying, "Just as you brought my wife back, please help me find my daughter." The police are now sifting through old record books, trying to ascertain the exact place of her rescue and whether the daughter was with her at that time.
The successful reunion is credited to the dedicated team at RMH, including medical superintendent Dr. Satish Humne, deputy Dr. Mohbe, and treating doctors Dr. Bagde and Dr. Kuthe. Dr. Humne emphasized their institution's broader mission, stating, "Our responsibility extends beyond treatment to upholding human rights, family reunions, and dignified rehabilitation."
