Panchkula (Haryana): A young woman was reunited with her family in Maharashtra 15 years after she was separated from her mother at a railway station in Haryana.
The reunion was made possible due to the efforts of Haryana's Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU). Neha, now 22 years old, was separated from her mother, Kavita, at Panipat railway station in Haryana when she was just 7 years old.
In 2010, Neha travelled with her mother from Wardha to Haryana. However, tragedy struck at Panipat railway station, when Neha was separated from her. She was found by the police and placed in a government-run ashram. As the years passed, the ashram closed, and Neha was transferred to another facility in Sonipat, where she remained for over a decade.
Speaking about her separation, Neha said, "I did not even know where my mother was. I grew up without any family, and I often wondered if I would ever see them again."
The breakthrough came in 2025 when she spoke to ASI Rajesh Kumar from Panchkula's AHTU. Neha asked the officer to help find her family. ASI Rajesh, moved by her plight, began his search by gathering clues from Neha. She recalled her mother's name Kavita and mentioned her father was called 'Chichadu'. With these details, Rajesh tracked down a missing person report filed by Neha's father Rajinder Dhole, in Wardha in 2010.
"I was devastated when my daughter went missing. We searched everywhere but could not find her. I couldn't believe it when I saw her on the video call," said Rajinder, as he identified Neha during the call. Her maternal uncle and aunt also confirmed her identity.
With the family's identity confirmed, Rajinder along with Neha's maternal relatives, rushed to Sonipat to reunite with her. After completing the legal formalities, Neha was handed over to her family on January 15.
Haryana DGP Shatrujeet Kapoor congratulated the AHU team for their dedication. He said, "This is a heartwarming success story and I am proud of their efforts." ADGP Mamta Singh also urged parents to ensure their children have updated Aadhaar cards to help prevent such cases in the future.
