Sister’s FB request helps reunite woman who fled home as teen

Surat: A woman who had left home at the age of 14, lured by dreams of an acting career, was traced to Rajasthan after six years, setting off an emotional reunion with her family, who had lived through prolonged mental anguish and uncertainty.Adajan police found the woman, now 20 years old, in Jodhpur where she worked at a bakery after her acting dreams reportedly crashed.Giving details about the case, senior police officials said she went missing near Bhulka Bhuvan in 2019. Her famil made all attempts to trace her but in vain. They later filed a missing persons' report at the Adajan police station. Despite repeated efforts over the years, police had no concrete lead until her online presence provided a breakthrough.During the investigation, Adajan police searched for her on Facebook and found a few profiles bearing her name. Family members were called to the police station to verify the identity."The woman's sister identified her from the profile picture. She sent her a friend request, which was accepted. They exchanged phone numbers and spoke for the first time in six years," said Adajan police inspector VA Jograna. "We finally reunited her with her family," he added.Police later learned that the woman had left Surat voluntarily in 2019 in search of better income. She travelled to Jodhpur, where she initially worked at a unit earning around Rs 15,000 a month.When found, she was staying in a girls' hostel and working at a bakery. Police said she denied any untoward incident or human trafficking, maintaining that she left home of her own free will to earn a living and chase her dreams.