Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (NJC)
Mangaluru, May 8: In a startling turn of events, a Mangaluru-based humanitarian organisation that rescued and rehabilitated a mentally distressed man found abandoned on the streets later discovered that he was allegedly an accused in a murder case and had been absconding for several months.
The incident came to light after volunteers of a city-based service organisation working for the rehabilitation of destitute persons, homeless individuals, and people suffering from mental illness received information from the public a few months ago about a man lying by the roadside in a severely weak and unstable condition.
When the team reached the spot, they found the man in a heart-breaking state. He was reportedly unable to walk properly and appeared to be suffering from serious mental health issues. His body bore multiple injuries and severe fungal infections, along with several other health complications.
The organisation immediately shifted him to its shelter home and began medical treatment and counselling. After weeks of care and rehabilitation, the man gradually started responding and identified himself as ‘Aneesh Kumar.’ He also mentioned his mother’s name as ‘Radha’. Locals reportedly informed the organisation that he had earlier been employed somewhere before gradually slipping into mental instability and ending up on the streets.
Determined to reunite him with his family, the NGO recently began tracing his relatives based on the details provided by him. During the search, they contacted a woman employed at a hospital in Tamil Nadu. However, the woman reportedly denied having a son and stated that she only had a daughter.
Despite the confusion surrounding his identity, Aneesh Kumar repeatedly expressed his desire to return home, according to the caretakers.
As part of further verification, the organisation gathered information from multiple sources and eventually contacted a police station in Pudukkottai district of Tamil Nadu. During the inquiry, police informed the NGO that Aneesh Kumar was allegedly involved in a murder case registered under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code on April 25, 2024.
According to preliminary police findings, Aneesh Kumar is accused of murdering his friend during a quarrel by allegedly attacking him with a stone. He was arrested in connection with the case and later released on bail, but reportedly failed to appear before the court and had been absconding for several months.
What left the NGO staff deeply emotional was the fact that the man appeared completely unaware of the criminal case pending against him. Caretakers said he continued to remain hopeful and happy at the thought of finally returning home.
“When we rescued him, he was in an extremely pathetic condition. He could barely walk and his body was badly infected. After treatment, he slowly recovered. He would constantly say that he wanted to see his mother and go home. We tried through several sources to trace his family. Only after contacting the police station did we learn that he was an accused in a murder case. But he seems unaware of all this and remains happy thinking that he will soon return home,” said Corrine Rasquinha, founder of the White Doves organisation.
The incident has drawn attention to the complex intersection of mental health, homelessness, rehabilitation, and criminal justice, raising questions about how individuals battling psychological distress can disappear into society unnoticed for months.