New Delhi: A pair of black rubber slippers, marked with the number 24 in white, became the key to reuniting a mentally challenged man with his long-lost family. The man, identified as Suresh Mudiya, was discovered in Canning, a town in West Bengals South 24-Parganas district, after being separated from his family for years.Discovery in CanningVillagers in Thakuraniberia, located in the Canning-I Block, found Suresh sleeping by the roadside. What caught their attention was the unique pair of slippers lying beside him. Intrigued by the oddity, they alerted the local police at the Canning police station. Officer-in-Charge Sougata Ghosh, after a preliminary investigation, advised the villagers to contact the West Bengal Radio Club (WBRC), an organization known for its success in reuniting missing persons with their families.Clue in the slippersAmateur radio operators from WBRC quickly recognized the significance of the slippers. We immediately realized that the slippers were of the kind worn by prisoners, with the number referring to the designated cell, said Ambarish Nag Biswas, Secretary of WBRC. This clue led them on a search to trace Sureshs origins.Tracing the familyAfter much effort, Sureshs family was traced to Belkhedi, a village in Madhya Pradesh. People in the village identified Suresh from a photograph but were initially hesitant to speak. It was revealed that Suresh was a murder convict who had served a life sentence. His family had left the village after his conviction.Mothers heartbreakThe radio operators then contacted the prison authorities in Madhya Pradesh, who confirmed that Suresh had been released after serving 20 years. He was allowed to keep the slippers as he had no other belongings. Sureshs mother, Kanti Bai Mudiya, was eventually found and broke down upon seeing her sons photograph. She explained that Suresh, in a fit of rage, had caused the death of his brother-in-law, leading to his imprisonment.Reunion and return homeSuresh, now mentally unstable, had wandered from Madhya Pradesh to West Bengal, unable to remember his past. Upon seeing his mothers photograph, he expressed a desire to return home. His family is now en route to Canning to bring him back.We thank the villagers for providing him shelter and food, said Nag Biswas.
