Missing Madhya Pradesh Woman Rescued in Chennai After 13 Years, Reunited With Family

By Our Correspondent

CHENNAI, Aug. 8: A 52-year-old woman from Madhya Pradesh, missing for over 13 years, was reunited with her family on Friday after being rescued, rehabilitated, and identified by the Tamil Nadu-based NGO Udavum Karangal.

According to the organisation, social worker Gomathy Saravanan spotted the woman wandering aimlessly in Maduravoyal, Chennai, on February 12, 2022. She appeared mentally disoriented, poorly groomed, and unable to recall time or date. Speaking only Hindi, she could initially share only that she had five brothers and one sister.

She was taken to Udavum Karangal’s home in Maduravoyal, where she was given new clothes, food, and a medical check-up. Over the next few years, with sustained psychiatric treatment, her speech improved, and she disclosed her name as Jannathun Bee, a native of Dhanpuri in Shahdol district, Madhya Pradesh.

Social workers Srinivasa Rao and Shanawaaz used the details to contact local shops and a mosque in her hometown, sharing her photographs. Days later, her son, Mohammed Naim, responded, revealing that this was the third time she had run away from home.

On August 8, Naim, accompanied by a neighbour, travelled to Chennai to take her home. The reunion took place in the presence of Udavum Karangal founder S. Vidyaakar and home in-charge Mrs. Jothi.

The NGO provided Jannathun Bee with a month’s supply of medicines and advised her family on the need for regular medical follow-ups. The family expressed gratitude to the organisation for its efforts.

Founded 40 years ago, Udavum Karangal works to rescue, rehabilitate, and reunite destitute individuals with their families.

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