22-04-2025
A year after his disappearance, Maharashtra man reunited with family
A year after he went missing, 35-year-old Ramesh from Maharashtra's Chandrapur district has finally returned home, thanks to efforts by kind-hearted persons in Kerala and Maharashtra who worked together across State borders to reunite him with his family.
Ramesh, who had reportedly left home in distress following his father's death, was found wandering near Kasaragod by Nawaz, a Kannur-based bus owner known for supporting the destitute and those suffering from mental illness.
'I always carry food in my vehicle to distribute to those living on the roadside. With my friends' support, we help those who are mentally disturbed and bring them to our office at Irrikur,' Mr. Nawaz told The Hindu.
At his Irrikur office, Ramesh was given a bath, food, and shelter. Once comfortable, Nawaz and his team began gathering clues about his background. Ramesh, visibly disoriented, could only recall the name of a Dargah in Ghugus, a village in Chandrapur district.
Nawaz, also the district secretary of Tourist Bus Operators' Association, reached out to Ramesh's relatives through Contract Carriage Operators' Association, Kerala. The alert was picked by Kiran Desai, a national committee member of Bus and Car Operators Confederation of India (BOCI), who conversed with Ramesh in Marathi and confirmed his origins.
Further coordination involving Mahendra Luley and Amit Gupta of BOCI led to the identification of Ramesh's brother Shyam, a truck driver in a coal mine in Chandrapur district. A video call was arranged the same evening, and by next day, Ramesh boarded a train with his brother to return home.
'Ramesh was mentally disturbed after our father passed away. He left for Hyderabad in search of work but never returned,' Shyam said. 'We filed a missing report and searched everywhere. Nawaz's call was nothing short of a miracle,' he added.
