After a long wait of eleven years, Geeta Patel finally got reunited with her family who travelled to Kolkata all the way from Godhra to take her back. Geeta had gone missing in 2013 during a family wedding in Gujarat.
When Geeta reached Calcutta Pavlov Hospital 11 years ago, she was nameless as she could neither tell the doctors her name nor could she recall where she came from. With medical care and counselling for years, Geeta finally could recollect her name but not her address.
The 45-year-old woman, who was found roaming in Kolkata, was brought to the institute for mental health by police 11 years ago. In the initial months, she could not remember even her own name. She has no idea how she had landed in Kolkata.
A week ago, Geeta had uttered Godhra but could not remember her full address. CPH medical superintendent Mashood Ali immediately contacted Godhra Police and provided the sketchy details along with her photograph. Gurajat police acted swiftly and finally traced her family to Bhamaiyya village, Godhra taluka in Panchmahal.
Panchmahal SP Himnanshu Solanki told the media: “The hospital contacted us and we verified the details of the village and the family. When we could contact the family, the doctors made Geeta video call her family. They recognised each other.”
Geeta’s elder sister and brother-in-law reached Kolkata along with a personnel from the district police. The two sisters hugged in a tearful reunion after 11 long years.
Inspector Pravin Ashoda said: “The district administration made travel arrangements for Geeta and her family on humanitarian grounds. They are now bringing her home after completing all formalities. It gives us immense satisfaction that we could be of help in the reunion.”
While Geeta’s husband passed away a couple of years ago, their three children — Hitesh, Divya and Vipul — are now teens. “Her husband continued to look for her for years till his death a few years ago. After his death, the children dropped out of school. Hopefully now, the administration will be supportive and help arrange some livelihood for the family,” said her brother-in-law Balvant.
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