Uttar Pradesh Police successfully brought a lost man back to his family after a 22-year separation. The family was located by the police using Google Maps and the C-Plan App, which is a community policing initiative of the Uttar Pradesh Police aimed at upholding law and order in rural areas and districts.
In March 2024, the police were providing counseling to children at Prayas Bal Griha during a particular incident. While this was happening, Bablu Sharma, a sanitation worker, approached the police and asked them to help him find his family.
Balbu mentioned that he departed from his home in June 2002 and was unable to return. He begged the police to assist him in locating his family. He stated that Sukhdev is his father’s name and Angoori Devi is his mother. The only thing Bablu could remember was the name of his village, Dhanaura.
The Inspector in-charge for Mission Muskan, Ripudaman Singh of the Government Railway Police (GRP), used the C Plan app and Google Maps to locate Dhanaura village as part of the Uttar Pradesh Police initiative to reunite children with their families.
Nevertheless, the inquiry found that there are Dhanaura villages in Bijnor, Baghpat, and Bulandshahr districts, but no specific details could be obtained from any of them.
After that, Bablu was thoroughly interrogated. He mentioned that he had arrived in Delhi via train. Following multiple rounds of interrogation, law enforcement obtained information that Bablu’s hometown, Dhanaura, was in close proximity to Chola railway station. The team at the village was informed by the police and Bablu’s picture was circulated there.
The authorities were alerted when Sukhdev Sharma from the village reported that his son had disappeared several years ago and has not been located since. The authorities reached out to Sukhdev Sharma and inquired about other individuals in his household. The family members’ names given by Sukhdev were the same as those mentioned by Bablu. Sukhdev mentioned that he spent 5-6 years looking for his son before losing all hope.
Bablu was emotionally reunited with his parents after being apart for 22 years, a significant moment for the family. After learning the information, supporters began arriving at their location, sharing happiness and relief upon seeing the young man unharmed.