Thane: Missing for nearly three years, 17-year-old Ujjain boy reunited with family

Team of Thane police with the boy (centre) and his parents

The Thane police, through a collaborative effort with a hospital in Thane, and the Madhya Pradesh police, reunited a 17-year-old specially-abled boy from Ujjain, with his family, officials said. Police said that the boy, who had been missing for nearly three years, from his home in MP, was reportedly found wandering barefoot and in tattered clothes on the streets in Thane in August 2022.

The case came to light after a local resident alerted the Child Welfare Commission (CWC) about a ‘homeless' boy under Thane's Kasarvadavli police jurisdiction. The CWC took custody of the boy and told the police to trace his origins. Initially identified under a different name, the boy was placed in a children's home. However, during a medical evaluation, he exhibited symptoms of schizophrenia and other psychotic conditions, prompting authorities to transfer him to the Thane Mental Hospital.

According to Dr Netaji B Mulik, the medical superintendent at the hospital, the boy was initially unable to communicate, leaving them without any information about his identity, age, or whereabouts. Instead of pressuring him to speak, the hospital focused on extensive psychiatric treatment, including medication, therapy, and counselling, Dr Mulik said.

Over two years, the boy showed gradual improvement and during this time, he occasionally mentioned being 14 years old and provided an address in Mumbra. "We sent a team with his photo to Mumbra to investigate and trace his family, but despite months of efforts, we found no leads," said Dr Mulik. He added that the hospital decided to continue treatment, holding on to the hope of further progress.

As the boy's condition improved, an Aadhaar card verification drive at the hospital proved crucial in tracing his family. "During the drive, when his fingerprints were being registered, the database showed a duplication, indicating his fingerprints had already been recorded under a different name. According to the data, the boy was identified as 17 years old, a resident of Badnagar, a town in Ujjain district, Madhya Pradesh. The database also provided details of his parents' names and location," Dr Mulik further said.

After getting the details, the hospital team, the Thane police in coordination with the Madhya Pradesh police located and contacted the boy's family. Officials confirmed that the boy had gone missing from Ujjain nearly three years ago. After being informed the boy's family travelled to Thane, where he was reunited with them, said police. Police and hospital authorities suspect that the boy may have boarded a train from Ujjain to Mumbai, eventually ending up in the Thane area.