Missing son reunites with family in Dang after 12 years

Surat: Emotional scenes were witnessed in Vanachonda village of Waghai taluka in Dang district on Friday as the family of tribal farmer Chatur Chaudhary reunited with his son Ranjit (33), 12 years after he went missing.The Dang police traced Ranjit to Gandhidham town in Kutch under Operation Milap, a special drive to locate and reunite missing persons. Ranjit, who had disappeared in 2012 while pursuing his studies, expressed happiness on being reunited with his family.Ranjit Chaudhary was 21 years old when he went missing from Vapi, where he was enrolled in a BBA course at a local college. He disappeared during his third semester, and his family had informed the police that he had gone missing from his hostel. His father subsequently lodged a missing person complaint at the Waghai police station.For years, the family searched for him but found no clues. Recently, during a review of old missing cases under Operation Milap, police re-examined records using fresh inputs and technological assistance, which helped trace Ranjit's whereabouts to Gandhidham."Police gathered details about Ranjit through various available sources, including family members and friends. Government records were also examined," said Dang district superintendent of police (DSP) Pooja Yadav.Preliminary questioning revealed that Ranjit had been upset after being repeatedly asked to focus on his studies, following which he left home, police said.