The shoddy chain of things haunting the shelter home seems to have turned a blessing in disguise for one of its wretched inmates. The family members of S Hamsaveni, an inmate of the Government-run-Nari Niketan who hails from Tamil Nadu, met her after 12 years since the connection snapped in 2004 as she, not in the right frame of her mind, fled home.
Her family members, including son, daughter, son-in-law, sister-in-law and brother-in-law, were visibly emotional. They expressed thanks to police officer P Renuka Devi for helping them to get her back after a long span of time. They said that they had lost hope of her being alive.
“This is a great day for us all,” exclaimed the beaming son. They met her at the shelter home with the nod of the State social welfare department officers and then left for Tamil Nadu together. Her husband could not come due to illness, they said.
The family members further said she had been mentally ill for a long time. “She fled home many a time before she got lost in 2004. We searched for her and lodged missing diary, but in vain. However, the merciful God has helped us to reunite though many years elapsed since she got lost. We are all elated having her back amongst us after years,” the son added.
Uttarakhand additional secretary (social welfare) Manoj Chandran said that with the co-operation of the IPS, the address of the 45- year- old Hamsaveni was found. After completing necessary departmental formalities, Hamsaveni was handed over to her family members.
“Hamsaveni’s family members had reached Dehradun on Saturday morning by Madurai- Dehradun Express. They stayed in a hotel in Dehradun and at noon, they met Hamsaveni at Nari Niketan. After completing the departmental formalities, Hamsaveni was handed over to her family members. They boarded Mussoorie Express for Delhi. On Monday, they would catch a train for Tamil Nadu,” he added. According to the family members, she had boarded a train at Vallarai without informing the family member in 2004.
Chandran said that this was the second instance of the home inmates being sent back home. “We handed over an inmate to her family members based at Ranikhet in Almora after completing necessary departmental formalities on January 7,” he added
State Crime records Bureau (SCRB) SSP and IPS P Renuka Devi had met Hamsaveni on January 17 and Renuka facilitated her to talk with her family members over phone. During her conversation with Hamsaveni, Renuka came to learn things precisely about the district she was from. She accordingly approached the concerned police station and helped her talk to her family members. ADGP (SCRB), Tamil Nadu had helped Renuka to identify her address.
Renuka said that she has sought a report from the Nari Niketan officials about other inmates who have fled homes. The officials will be deputed to find out their addresses so as to enable them to go back home, she added. Mention worthy, Hamsaveni had reached Pauri Uttarakhand in 2005 and as local residents had informed the administration of the apparently mentally challenged woman loitering around, she got enrolled in Nari Niketan based in Kotdwar. later, in 2008, she was transferred to the home based in Dehradun.