Kerala - Kochi   

Mentally challenged girl restored to her father after one year

Photo:Vipin Chandran

A gleeful Jamuna Majhi with her father at Palluruthy Relief Settlement on Wednesday. —

KOCHI: It was a reunion that the old father never thought about. It was more about a year that her daughter, Jamuna, had gone missing from Barajadeuli village in Balasore district in Orissa.

Relief and happiness writ large on her face as her father Jagebandhu Majhi was formally handed over the custody of his 27-year old mentally disturbed daughter at the Palluruthy Relief Settlement (PRS), at a function in which Corporation Welfare Standing Committee chairman, T.K. Shamsuddin handed over the agreement letter to P.J. George, superintendent of the Settlement.

Jamuna was brought to PRS by the Cheranelloor police when she was found loitering around on April 26, 2007. Earlier, she used to say nothing, said Mr. George. But then later on she started talking non-stop.

"This made us realise that her mental state is not sound. One day, as the gates of the PRS were opened for a vehicle to pass, she ran into the street. That was when we admitted her to the Thrissur Mental Hospital. She spent two months there and was brought back about 3-4 months back".

The search for her folks started with a social work visit by a group from the Taj Hotel, led by Priya Lalwadi, wife of the General Manager Vikram Lalwadi. Mrs. Lalwadi, with support from the staff Merlin, Benny, Suni, Sebastian, Anoop, Ashok and James, formed the search group.

Most important was the contribution of Abdul Hossen, a cook at the Hotel and an Oriya, who managed to talk to the PRS inmate to find out about her native place. She did not speak proper Oriya, but a dialect, said Mr. George.

However, the Taj team managed to reach out to Mr. Majhi at his village under Soro police station in Kharasasapur town.

The Corporation has arranged to send the father and daughter along with their neighbour, who accompanied the old man, with tickets on the Thiruvananthapuram-Shalimar Express on Wednesday.

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