Bareilly (UP), Jul 13 (PTI) A 70-year-old mentally challenged man, who had gone missing from his home in Bareilly 27 years ago, was reunited with his loved ones on Sunday after being rescued in Mumbai earlier this year.

According to officials, Ramesh was found wandering by the police on February 6, 2025, in Ekta Nagar Railway Colony of Mumbai.

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The police shifted the septuagenarian to NGO Grace Foundation from where he was sent to Shraddha Rehabilitation Foundation in Karjat near Mumbai for long-term treatment.

Under the care of psychiatrist Dr Bharat Vatwani, Ramesh began responding to treatment, the officials said.

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As he regained some memory, he told the doctors his name and said he was a resident of Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh.

Following this, Shraddha Foundation attempted to locate his family and initially sent him to Aonla in Bareilly. However, no relatives could be traced there.

Consequently, Ramesh was transferred to the Manosamarpan Seva Sansthan, a mental rehabilitation facility in Rajau Parsupur, Bareilly, for continued treatment and assistance in family tracing.

Founder of the facility, Shailesh Sharma who is also a psychologist, said that his team made persistent efforts to help Ramesh recover memory through continuous counselling.

During sessions, Ramesh recalled the names of his father Sudama, sister Kanta, and brother-in-law Bhugan but the search did not yield any results.

During further counselling, the elderly mentioned places like Raeesi village in Haridwar and Nahtaur in Bijnor district.

The breakthrough came when Ramesh remembered two names—Pooran and Subhash—who roasted gram for sale in Nahtaur. Acting on this lead, a team led by social worker Mukul Kumar located Subhash in Nahtaur, who identified himself as Ramesh's brother-in-law.

Upon confirmation of identity, Ramesh's sister Sheela Devi, a resident of Nahtaur, was contacted who broke down on a video call upon seeing her long-lost brother. She then shared the address of another brother, Subhash, who lives in Bareilly's Hajiyapur locality.

After getting information, Ramesh's brother Subhash rushed to the Manosamarpan Seva Sansthan, where an emotional reunion took place.

Speaking to PTI, Subhash said, “Ramesh left 27 years ago, saying he was going to visit our sister in Nahtaur, but did not reach there, neither he came back. We searched for him for years, then gave up hope. We all believed he was no more.”

He added, “Our mother Mala Devi waited for him all her life. She used to say Ramesh would return one day. Sadly, she passed away before seeing this day.”

Ramesh was officially handed over to his family after completion of formalities by the Manosamarpan team.

Senior psychiatrist Dr Sarvesh Chandra, associated with Manosamarpan, said the institution works to provide free care and rehabilitation to destitute and mentally ill individuals found wandering on streets.

He appealed to the public to inform the facility if they find anyone in a mentally disturbed or abandoned condition.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)