In a remarkable tale of perseverance and compassion, Pune's Regional Mental Hospital in Yerawada has successfully reunited a 55-year-old man with learning difficulties with his family in Haridwar after a staggering 12-year separation. The reunion, which culminated on a Friday, was made possible through a combination of diligent social work, modern technology like Google Maps, and navigating a complex legal process following the man's acquittal by a court on November 14.
A Long Journey from Haridwar to Pune
The man, identified as Shivam, was a resident of Haridwar who went missing in the aftermath of the devastating Kedarnath floods in 2013. His family searched for him extensively, but with no results, they presumed him dead a year later. Shivam's journey, however, had taken him to Chatrapati Sambhajinagar, where he lived as a destitute inside a temple until 2021. That year, he was arrested and charged with theft.
The court proceedings revealed a critical detail: Shivam was suffering from a severe mental health condition. Dr. Shrinivas Kolod, the medical superintendent at the Regional Mental Hospital, explained, "He was brought to us as a patient serving his prison time. He could not speak, seemed confused, and was unable to comprehend emotions. Our doctors diagnosed him with disoriented schizophrenia. He was admitted for further treatment."
The Clues That Led Back Home
The breakthrough in the case came from the hospital's social service superintendent, Rohini Bhosale. She dedicated herself to communicating with Shivam. "He was unable to speak proper sentences, but he did mention his school's name and Haridwar. He spoke pahadi Hindi, which was another clue for me," Bhosale recounted. Using these fragments of information, the team turned to Google Maps to pinpoint his likely village and eventually make contact with his astonished family.
On November 22, 2023, the family's long-held grief turned to overwhelming emotion as they saw Shivam alive at the Pune hospital, hundreds of kilometers away. "They broke down in tears. It was a joyous moment but also heartbreaking to see one of their own living in such poor conditions in an unknown land," Bhosale described.
Untangling a Legal Web and Securing Justice
Bhosale's investigation into the case uncovered a troubling legal situation. Shivam had been charged under Section 295 of the Indian Penal Code for defiling a place of worship, an offence carrying a maximum punishment of two years. However, the police at Shirur police station in Chatrapati Sambhajinagar were unaware of the case details, and critically, no chargesheet had been filed. This meant Shivam was technically serving prison time at the hospital without an active trial.
"We immediately informed the police... After reviewing all documents, police filed a chargesheet," Bhosale said. The court summoned Shivam, and after inquiry, it was conclusively proven that he was innocent and had been falsely implicated by the actual culprits, likely because he was residing in the temple.
Following his formal acquittal by the Vaijapur court on November 14, the rehabilitation process was fast-tracked. Shivam's case was presented before the Mental Health Review Board, Pune, chaired by District and Additional Sessions Judge R.R. Medhe, who followed up consistently with the Vaijapur court. During this period, his relatives began visiting him regularly.
Dr. Kolod highlighted the collaborative effort, noting that along with Bhosale, psychiatrist nursing staffer Nilesh Dighe constantly followed up on the case and cared for Shivam. He also pointed out that this successful rehabilitation marks the first such case in the hospital's history for a person with learning difficulties who had served prison time.
The story concludes with a rare and happy ending: Shivam's family readily accepted him back, closing a painful chapter of twelve years marked by tragedy, injustice, and ultimately, redemption through institutional empathy and determined effort.
