Maharashtra: Mentally-ill woman reunited with family

A mentally challenged woman, who had gone missing from her native place in Mumbai several years ago, has been reunited with her family following efforts made by Solapur Municipal Homeless Shelter. When the woman saw the three-year-old son after a long time, she broke down and ran to hug and kiss him. Eyewitnesses at the homeless shelter in Solapur were moved to tears after seeing this reunion of the mother and her son.

Solapur (Maharashtra): A woman, who was mentally ill for several years and had gone missing from her home a year ago, was reunited with her family last week.

According to sources, seven months ago, Kavita Suresh Kale was rescued from a post office area near Solapur railway station and brought to the Home for Psycho-Social Rehabilitation of Mentally Ill Persons at Solapur.

The public had informed the home about Kavita wandering in the locality. She was mentally ill and was provided treatment and rehabilitation at the home, sources said.

She had regained her memory slowly and provided a few details about her home.

Based on this, efforts were taken to trace her family and it was found that she was from Ambernath in Mumbai.

She was mentally ill for several years and had gone missing from her house a year ago. She was staying at railway stations after her husband had deserted her.

Her family members, who arrived at the Solapur home after being informed, said they had searched for her at various places but could not find her.

Authorities of the home handed Kavita to her family.

Vaishali Awhad, the counsellor said, "A Google search revealed the workplace and contact number of Kavita Kale's husband. After interacting with him, we called Kavita's family members to Solapur. The husband, brother and uncle arrived in Solapur on Monday. But, Kavita wanted to see her three-year-old son Siddhesh. Seeing her son after a very long time, Kavita took him close and cried a lot. This sight moved a lot of onlookers."

"Her mental state deteriorated further as she could not bear the separation from her child. She left home a year ago to look for her child in the same situation. She toured various railway stations and finally reached Solapur. As her mental state deteriorated, she stayed at the railway station in Solapur. After that, the railway station was deserted due to the nationwide lockdown. So she started living near the post office located near the railway station," she said.

Meanwhile, Kavita's family had lodged a missing complaint with the local police. Upon learning that there was an unidentified woman at the Solapur railway station area, the officials of the Municipal Homeless Shelter brought her to the centre and was then treated. She will now live with her family in her village at her home.