A mentally ill woman, who went missing from her family home in Odisha two years ago, was reunited with her family after coordinated efforts were taken by officials of various departments on Sunday.
The issue came to light when the woman, Padmini Naik (31), who was staying in a home for persons with mental illnesses near here, went missing recently.
After a complaint, the Malli police traced her and produced her before the Judicial Magistrate II,V. Paramveer. During the hearing, the JM found that the woman was from Odisha. When the matter was taken up with the Principal District and Sessions Judge (PDJ), A. Muthusaratha, she ordered the District Legal Services Authority to trace her family members.
Though it was not clear how Ms. Padmini came to Tamil Nadu from Odisha, officials found that she had been in various places in the State. But she came to the notice of the government authorities only after she tested positive for COVID-19 a few days back. After treatment she was admitted to a home from where she went missing.
“The woman was able to tell us her name and the names of her family members and her school in Odisha, but was not able to tell us her address,” Mr. Mariappan said. The PDJ said that considering her age, Ms. Padmini should be re-united only with her family members, instead of putting her back in a home.
A team of officials led by the Additional Superintendent of Police, S. Marirajan, Additional Superintendents of Police, (State Crime Records Bureau), Sridevi and Lavanya, Virudhunagar District Anti-Human Trafficking Unit Sub-Inspector of Police, Rajeswari, was formed to track her parents.
Last week, the officials were able to track her family members and her brother, Vinay Naik, came to Srivilliputtur. After verification of the family members’ identity, Ms. Padmini was reunited with them. The PDJ provided money and food for them to return to Odisha.
The family members thanked the authorities for their efforts in tracing Ms. Padmini.
