MADIKERI: A woman was reunited with her husband and family after seven years following the efforts of an Ashram in Madikeri.
In 2014, a native of Tamil Nadu, Rajappa had admitted his wife Muthamma to the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences KSRT(NIMHANS) for treatment. Muthamma was at the hospital for nearly two months and was being treated for her mental illness. However, Muthamma escaped from the hospital even as Rajappa filed a missing complaint with the Bengaluru Police. Rajappa and his family searched for Muthamma everywhere, but in vain.
Meanwhile, in 2017 a woman was found lying near Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) Bus Depot in Madikeri. The woman had wounds on her leg and she seemed homeless. Her legs were in a putrid state and she had also lost two toes.
A resident who found the woman alerted the Thanal Ashram in Madikeri and the management took the woman under their care.
“We admitted the woman to Madikeri District Hospital and provided first aid. She was then shifted to Thanal headquarters in Kerala and she was treated for her injuries for six months. Later, she was sheltered at Thanal Ashram in Madikeri,” recalled Mohammed, the president of Kodagu Thanal Ashram.
The management also appointed a psychiatrist and treated the woman for her mental illness. “During this time, she slowly regained memory. We learned that her name was Muthamma. However, her memory was not restored completely. When we asked for her whereabouts, she only replied saying – she was from Kothuru,” explained Mohammed.
The management visited many places with the name Kothuru across Karnataka and even visited a place with the same name in Andhra Pradesh. They contacted the police stations across these places, but could not find any clue about the woman’s family. “During a public function of Thanal in Madikeri, we shared the story of Muthamma. Kodagu district magistrate Subramanya was invited as the guest for the function. The woman told about a place called Dindigul and magistrate Subramanya said that he knew an advocate friend from this place, which is in Tamil Nadu,” he explained.
Following this information, more details were traced with the help of the Kodagu police, and Muthamma was taken to Dindigul in Tamil Nadu by the Tanhal management and the Kodagu police. The police tracked Muthamma’s family and she was reunited with her husband Rajappa and others from the family.
“One policy of Thanal is that we try to reunite the family as we do not want them to stay orphans,” concluded Mohammed.