Bhubaneswar: After an agonising 18-year wait, Purusottam Gouda, a youth from Sundargarh district, finally returned home on Tuesday, reuniting with his family at Sunaparbat village under Lathikata block. The long-lost youth was welcomed with tears of joy and celebrations by his aunt, Ullasi Gouda, who had raised him after the death of his mother.
Purusottam went missing in 2008 at the age of 13.
According to reports, he was deceitfully taken away and handed over to a man named Kuldeep Gupta in Samba district of Jammu & Kashmir, where he reportedly lived in captivity for years.
Determined to bring him back, Ullasi approached several organisations and individuals seeking help over the years. In January this year, a phone call from an unknown number revealed Purusottam’s whereabouts. She then contacted the local MLA of Raghunathpali, who wrote to Western Range DIG Brijesh Kumar Rai, requesting intervention.
Following the DIG’s instructions, Tangarapali police traveled to Jammu & Kashmir last week and successfully rescued Purusottam. The youth was safely brought back to Sundargarh on Tuesday, culminating in an emotional reunion that left his aunt overwhelmed with joy.
