“Samir was diagnosed with a disorder when he was around 18. A student who secured a first division in his class 10 examinations, Samir could not appear for his

class 12 examinations. In September 2007, the family had arrived in Mumbai for his treatment and came to our house in Meera Road. That very evening Samir stepped out of our house to ‘look around’ and never returned,” said Raju Sheikh, Jalayabi’s brother-in-law who had then filed a complaint with the Kanakiya police.

According to Sheikh, a Central Railway employee, the Jamadars had stayed back in Mumbai for six months. However with meagre assistance from the police, they were forced to give it up their search.

The breakthrough came on Saturday, when Mehul Dattani, an employee in a construction firm, decided to celebrate his child’s first birthday in Shantidan Ashram in Borivali. “When I had gone to the ashram, a youngster came up to me and asked me if I would send him ‘back home to Solapur’. He was slurring on words. He gave a phone number that fell short of the total digits, but then was coherent while giving an address in Solapur. I sent a telegram to the address telling them about the boy and today, they are here,” said Dattani.

Sheikh had rushed to the ashram and was relieved to find Samir safe, but shocked to see the many wounds and bruises on Samir’s body. “When I enquired at the ashram, they said the Khargar police had brought the boy to the Khargar branch of their ashram. The police had told them that they had found the youth in a naked state at Khargar railway station. The youth was brought to the Borivali ashram on December 28. They ashram’s social workers had dressed his wounds, but weren’t able to comprehend his speech and hence couldn’t contact the family,” said Sheikh.