New Delhi: It’s a homecoming of sorts! Thirty-one years after he was kidnapped as a seven-year-old from Ghaziabad, a man returned home and reunited with his family. Raju stated that he was abducted while he and his sister were on their way home from school.
It was on September 8, 1993 that Raju, whose family lives in Sahibabad, went missing. A missing report had been filed with the police, but the boy could not be found and the case remained unsolved.
Raju’s kidnappers took him to Rajasthan, where he had been living all these years. On reaching Rajasthan, Raju was beaten up every day and forced to work. He was given just one roti in the evening and he continued to survive on that minimal food. In the night, he was tied up to ensure he didn’t run away.
Finally, he made his escape by dodging his captors and hitching a truck ride to Delhi. He recalled the city, even though he didn’t remember in which area he lived and the his parents’ names. After he reached Delhi, he visited many police stations, and sought help but in vain.
At last, he visited the Khoda police station in Ghaziabad five days back. Raju said the cops took care of him there. They provided him with shoes, ensured he had food and water, and also shared information about him through the media and social media platforms.
It was soon after this that Raju’s uncle got in touch with the police and his family came to take him home. Probe into the entire matter is on, said senior police officer Rajnish Upadhyay.
‘I am feeling good now’
“I am feeling so good now,” Raju said while speaking to the media, as he sat at a Hanuman temple near the police station. “I thank Lord Hanuman. I have prayed that he reunites me with my family for many days.” Raju said that the younger daughter of the person at whose house he was held captive urged him to worship Lord Hanuman and egged him on to escape and reunite with his family.
