Azamgarh: In a heartwarming gesture under the 'Operation Muskaan' campaign, Azamgarh police helped in happy reunion of a 57-year-old woman with her family after 49 years of separation. Phoolmati, who had gone missing at a fair in Moradabad in 1975, was reunited with her brother, bringing tears of joy to the family.
The incident highlights the sincere efforts of the Azamgarh police in tracing and reuniting estranged families. Azamgarh superintendent of police (SP) Hemraj Meena oversaw the 'Operation Muskaan' campaign, which focuses on recovering kidnapped and missing persons.
On December 19, 2024, Pooja Rani, a teacher at Primary School Pajawa Bilaspur in Rampur, contacted the additional superintendent of police (ASP) Shailendra Lal and informed the senior police official about Phoolmati.
"Pooja Rani told us about a woman named Phoolmati who had been missing for decades. She only knew her maternal uncle's name and the village. The details were scant, but we decided to act immediately," said SP Hemraj Meena.
Phoolmati recounted that she had gone to the Moradabad fair with her mother, Shyamadei, in 1975 when she was just eight years old. "An old man lured me away and later sold me to Laalta Prasad Gangwar in Rampur. He married me, and we have a son made Sompal," Phoolmati told the police. Despite her life in Rampur, she yearned to find her family, whom she believed were in Azamgarh.