Tirupati: A boy from Mumbai, who went missing 14 years ago, has been reunited with his family, thanks to the efforts of Deepa Venkat, managing trustee of Swarna Bharat trust. Neeraj was only eight when he left his home in Mumbai and ended up at Gudur railway station in AP. He was found by railway police, who put him in Bridge school, a residential facility for orphans, school dropouts, and children with single parents. The school is run by Swarna Bharat in Venkatachalam mandal of Nellore dist.
Neeraj not only received education but also vocational training in plumbing, electrical work, driving, and vehicle mechanics. He was later adpoted by Deepa. Despite multiple attempts over the years, tracing Neeraj’s family proved difficult due to limited information. In Oct last year, a breakthrough came when the trust reached out to Mumbai’s Kurar police station. A minor discrepancy in Neeraj’s surname on his Aadhaar card had delayed identification.
Deepa sent Neeraj and a trust representative to Mumbai just before Holi. With the help of local police and well-wishers, they visited places Neeraj vaguely remembered, including his father’s old workplace and a bakery where he once worked. A local pani puri vendor led them to a salon owner who recognized Neeraj’s father’s name. Through this connection, word finally reached his family in Baragaon. Neeraj received an emotional WhatsApp video call from his parents, siblings, and grandmother. Tears of joy flowed as he reconnected with his long-lost family, reminiscing about childhood memories. The very next day, Deepa, who was in Varanasi at the time, arranged flight tickets for Neeraj to return home.
As he stepped out of the airport, his family recognized him instantly. Overwhelmed with joy, they embraced him, expressing deep gratitude to Deepa for raising Neeraj as her own for 14 years. The entire village of Baragaon gathered to celebrate his return.
