Kundapur: Happy reunion - Missing man returns home to family after 1.5 years

Silvester D'Souza
Daijiworld Media Network – Kundapur (NM)

Kundapur, May 29: A family in Gangolli here could hardly contain their joy, when their son who went missing one-and-a-half years ago, and about whom they had lost all hopes, returned home safe and sound on Monday May 27.

Mohammed Ghouse (35), eldest of the three sons of Shabeer Saheb and Noor Jaan, went missing after he climbed a wrong train while on his way to Coimbatore one-and-a-half years ago.

Mohammed Ghouse had married a girl from Coimbatore, and the couple was blessed with two sons. Every year, his wife and children used to visit her parental house.

Accordingly, in 2011, Mohammed Ghouse arrived at Mangalore railway station while on his way to Coimbatore to bring his wife and children back to Gangolli. He called his wife from a coin box phone and said that he had reached the railway station in Mangalore.

That was the last call he made. The family had absoluely no clue about his whereabouts thereafter.

His father Shabeer as well as the family made constant enquiries and tried to find him. All efforts went in vain and they almost lost all hopes of ever seeing him again.

Meanwhile, Mohammed Ghouse who was supposed to catch a train to Coimbatore got into a wrong train that took him to Bangalore instead. Distressed and panic-striken, Ghouse lost himself in a sea of unknown faces and with no clue how to return home, wandered about the city. He soon lost his mental balance too.

Help then came in the form of Ramesh Kumar, director of a Government aided rehabilitation centre for destitutes located in Sumanahalli road, Magadi, Bangalore, who stumbled upon him one fine day. However, Ghouse's mental state had deteriorated to such an extent that he was unable to recollect his name or where he had come from.

Ghouse underwent treatment at the rehabiliation centre. After one-and-a-half years of treatment, Mohammed Ghouse gradually began to recollect his name and his past. Once he was back to normal health, the management called up Gangolli police station and brought his case to their notice. The police then spread the news with the help of 24*7 helpline and soon identified his family.

His family, who were elated by the news, left for Bangalore immediately along with 24*7 helpline secretary Tazeem Gangolli, and had a happy reunion with the long-lost loved one. They brought him back to his hometown on Monday.