A 60-year-old speech-impaired man was reunited with his family more than 25 years after he disappeared thanks to social media and a tattoo on his hand that was fading away.
Chandrashekhar Maurya said on Saturday his uncle Jilajeet Maurya, a resident of Gothaav village in Azamgarh district, went missing on June 1, 1996 when he had gone to attend a 'pooja'.
"At that time, he was 35 years old. Our family searched for him, but he could not be traced," he told PTI.
With no clue about him for days, the family's hope of finding him diminished as days turned into months and months into years. But a glimmer of hope came their way three months ago! "We got information through Internet media three months ago that he was living at a village in Amethi, and launched efforts to search him," Chandrashekhar Maurya said.
But the hope gave way to dismay again when they could not find him there. But all changed on Tuesday.
"On December 13, 2022, it was known to us that he was in Rae Bareli district. His location was then traced to Hatwa village, and he was living in the house of village pradhan Shivendra Singh," said Chandrashekhar Maurya.
He said his uncle had a tattoo on his hand, but it was fading away.
"His name Jilajeet and the name of the village Gothaav were not very clear," he said. But what helped them identify him was his last name and the name of the district.
"The words Maurya and Azamgarh were quite clear." The family was overwhelmed with emotions when they had the first glimpse of him in 25 years. "My uncle also could not control his tears as he hugged us," Chandrashekhar said.
Jilajeet Maurya, who has not married, was brought home from Rae Bareli in Gothaav village in Azamgarh on Tuesday night.
The nephew said his family thanked Shivendra Singh profusely for keeping Jilaajeet Maurya safe.
A large number of people turned up to see him, said the nephew.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Featured Video Of The Day
Curtains On Maharashtra & Jharkhand Campaign: Who Has The Edge?
What Is Bluesky, How Does It Work And Why Are Users Leaving Elon Musk's X UP Cops Arrest Man Who Broke Into Homes To Hit Sleeping Women On Head UP Hospital Fire That Killed 11 Babies Accidental, Finds Panel: Sources Emergency Landing, Fliers Stuck For 3 Days In Phuket; Air India Responds Explained: Why Delhi's AQI Was 494 Today But International Monitor Said 1,600 Putin Responds To Biden's Missile Approval By Changing Nuclear Doctrine Air India Flight From Paris Diverted To Jaipur, Fliers Sent To Delhi On Bus Jharkhand High Court Recruitment 2024: Registration Begins For District Judge Posts Over 200 Children Killed In Lebanon Amid Israel-Hezbollah Conflict: UN Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.