TIRUNELVELI: A retired army major with dementia was reunited with his family from Punjab, 13 years after he went missing, on Sunday. The Tirunelveli police traced him near the INS Kattabomman naval base near Vijayanarayanam.
In a statement on Sunday, the district police said the septuagenarian was found roaming near Vijayanarayanam on September 17. “He was unable to prove his identity as he did not have an ID card.
As he appeared to be suffering from dementia due to old age, the Vijayanarayanam police picked him up and he was accommodated at a private orphanage near Nanguneri. Further investigation revealed his name is Gandharv Singh (72), son of Sansar Singh from Sunder Nagar of Gurdaspur district in Punjab.
Thereafter, Assistant Superintendent of Police V Prasanna Kumar and Vijayanarayanam Police Inspector Nagakumari made efforts to trace his family. Eventually, with the help of Punjab police, his details were verified, and it was confirmed that he was a retired army major. He went missing in 2011,” said the police.
“A missing persons’ case had been registered at the Pathankot police station in Punjab. With efforts from the police personnel, his family was contacted. On Saturday, his sons Anil Singh and Sunil Singh came to Nanguneri and identified their father. The elated duo took their father back home,” the police said.
This reunion was possible only due to the dedication and determination of Vijayanarayanam police, along with the Punjab police. Tirunelveli Superintendent of Police N Silambarasan applauded the personnel for reuniting Gandharv Singh with his family.