Maha: RPF reunites specially-abled teen, 80-year-old man with families

Photo for representational purpose

A 17-year-old specially-abled boy was reunited with his parents by the Kasara Railway Protection Force (RPF) on Friday. In another case, Panvel RPF also reunited an 80-year-old man suffering from amnesia with his son, who is a taxi driver in Navi Mumbai.

As per a report in Mumbai Mirror, the teenager, identified as Shaokat Ali had gone missing on November 26. His father is a cycle mechanic in Shivaji Nagar, Govandi.

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In the lockdown period from April to October, the RPF reunited 49 children, including 20 girls, with their families. Out of these 49, 22 (12 boys and 10 girls) were reunited with their families in October alone. In November, six of them were found, including the teenager from Govandi.

Ali was spotted by an RPF constable on November 26 around 11.40 pm.

"He looked distressed when he was brought to us," said Hanuman Singh, the RPF in-charge of Kasara.

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"He couldn't even speak properly, let alone give details of his family. We spent hours consoling and cajoling him and offered him tea, snacks and biscuits," said Singh, adding that nothing elicited a response. "We finally checked his pockets and found a small diary with the name and number of one Munira Begum, who turned out to be his mother," said Singh.

Ali's parents had been looking frantically for him and had even lodged a missing person complaint. After receiving a call from Singh, they reached Kasara on Friday morning and were reunited with their son.

The 80-year-old man, Maruti Sonkamble, had wandered off on November 25. His 39-year-old son Namdev works as a taxi driver in Navi Mumbai. He said they had just arrived at Panvel station from their village in Latur when his father went missing.

"I first helped him alight and then went back to get our luggage from the train. When I came back, he wasn't there. I asked for help from Panvel RPF and also registered a complaint with the GRP," Namdev said, adding that his father had lost his memory some years ago due to a prolonged illness.

The RPF in-charge of Panvel, Jasbeer Rana said the personnel at the station were alerted immediately and instructed to keep an eye on the elderly who looked lost. Rana said, "On November 28, at the station's waiting lounge, our staff noticed a senior citizen who matched the photograph given by Namdev," said Rana.

The Central Railway said both RPF personnel who spotted Shokat Ali and Maruti Sonkamble will be rewarded suitably.

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