Missing Madhya Pradesh Tailor Reunites With Family in Kashmir After 22 Years | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: In a story of endurance and hope, a man from Madhya Pradesh who had been missing for over two decades was reunited with his family in Srinagar, bringing scenes of jubilation and relief, ETV Bharat reported.

Dinesh (name changed), a tailor from Bumira village in Rajgarh district of Madhya Pradesh, had mysteriously disappeared in 2004, leaving behind his wife and a two-year-old son. Despite years of searching across cities, his family could not trace him and eventually lost hope.

“We searched for him in big cities for years but found no trace. Then we gave up hope. But when we heard he was alive, the happiness was beyond belief,” his brother-in-law told ETV Bharat in Srinagar.

According to the family, Dinesh was found wandering in Kupwara district of north Kashmir, where he had reportedly been living for several years. Local residents and the police are said to have provided him food and shelter during this period.

Officials said that when Dinesh began exhibiting symptoms of psychiatric illness, the Kupwara police intervened and, in coordination with the District Legal Services Authority, facilitated his admission to the Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (IMHANS) in September last year.

Dr Maria Zahoor, a psychiatrist at IMHANS, told ETV Bharat that when Dinesh was first admitted, his mental condition was critical. “When he arrived, his mental state was poor, and he was not responding. After treatment, he improved and began sharing his name, his son’s name, and his home address, which helped us find his family,” she said.

Sajjad-ur-Rehman Butt, a psychiatric social worker at the institute, said hospital authorities coordinated with the local police administration, which in turn contacted Madhya Pradesh police and the village headman to verify his identity. “As soon as his family got the news about Dinesh’s whereabouts, they did not delay in coming to Srinagar,” Butt said.

After completion of legal formalities, Dinesh was handed over to his brother-in-law and relatives in the presence of the village Sarpanch before being sent back to Madhya Pradesh.

Speaking to ETV Bharat, Dinesh recounted parts of his journey. “After leaving home, I lived in Jodhpur, Srinagar and Kupwara. Kupwara police helped me for a year,” he said.

Now reunited with his family after 22 years of separation, Dinesh expressed happiness at returning home and meeting his son, who is now a father himself.