Gadchiroli woman thought dead returns alive a year after family built her memorial
A 60-year-old woman from Gadchiroli district who vanished a year ago and was presumed dead was found alive and reunited with her family.
Mukka Dassu Kando, 60, a resident of Moharli village near Surjagad in Etapalli taluka of Gadchiroli district, had suddenly left home a year ago. Her family searched for her in several places, including Chhattisgarh, and enquired with relatives, but found no trace of her. Eventually, assuming she was no longer alive, the family built a memorial in her honour. A year later, the family received an unexpected joy when she turned out to be alive.
While wandering, she had found shelter at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Nivaragruha run by the Domaji Aadhar Foundation in Nanded. At the shelter, her food and health were looked after. She was given the necessary medical treatment, and was also examined and treated at a mental hospital in Nagpur. A video of her rescue was posted on social media, which came to the notice of local residents of Moharli. On recognising her face, the family suspected it was Mukka. Following further enquiry and confirmation, it became clear that Kando, missing for a year, was alive.
On learning the news, the family broke down in tears of joy. Parmeshwar Malawi, Rajani Kumbhare, Manish Khobragade, Ashish Khobragade, Aditya Uike and Samruddh Khobragade from the shelter took charge of bringing her to Moharli by car. After a journey of nearly five hours, she was safely handed over to her family.
On seeing Mukka Kando at the doorstep of the house, her husband, son and daughter broke into tears. The person whose death they had grieved a year ago, for whom they had built a memorial, was now standing before them. The family embraced her, and a year of separation dissolved in that hug.
The incident showed that the shelter given by the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Nivaragruha, the humane service provided there, and a small identification made possible through social media could reunite a family.
About two months ago, Mukka Kando was found wandering by the roadside by a team from the Domaji Aadhar Foundation in Nanded. The team admitted her to the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Ashram in Nanded. The ashram then posted a video of the rescue on social media. This video was seen by Dassu's nephew, and news that his mother, missing for a year, was alive reached the family. In this way, the atmosphere of despair at home turned to joy in a moment.
