Reunited with family after three decades, kidnapped UP man finally savours a wholesome meal

Ghaziabad (UP): After surviving on rotis and cups of tea for more than three decades, a refreshing change awaited Raju, who finally got to savour a wholesome meal prepared by her sister at their family home in Sahibabad on Friday.

In a miraculous turn of events, Raju, who was all of seven when he was kidnapped from Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad district more than 30 years ago, was reunited with his family on Wednesday.

Sharing his ordeal, Raju, now 38, said after being abducted in September 1993, he was handed over to a truck driver who took him to Jaisalmer in Rajasthan.

"The kidnappers kept me in a room located in the middle of a barren area, where I was forced to take care of sheep and goats. Each night, I was chained and locked in the room," he said.

Raju was studying at UKG at the time of his abduction. With no access to education all these years, he can no longer read or write. His father Tula Ram, a retired Delhi government employee, now wants to appoint a private tutor for his son’s education, as he feels at 38, Raju can no longer go to a school for formal studies.

"He can get a job as a labourer, but I won’t like that. I own a flour grinding machine in Shaheed Nagar colony. Once he has had adequate rest, Raju will join me there," Tula Ram said.

Ever since his return, many relatives and neighbours have been thronging Tula Ram’s house to catch a glimpse of Raju, with his mother and sister pampering him with his favourite dishes.

"Once Raju returns to a normal mental state, we will search for a suitable girl for him to tie the knot," Tula Ram said.

According to Tula Ram, the kidnapping took place when Raju and his sister were returning home from the Deen Bandhu Public School in Sahibabad.

After an argument with his sister, Raju sat by the roadside when three people arrived in a tempo and abducted him, Tula Ram earlier said.

Police are in the process of re-opening the case for which they will visit Jaisalmer, where Raju was kept for 31 years, and nab his kidnappers for further legal proceedings, DCP Hindon Nimish Patil told PTI.

Despite extensive searches, police could not recover Raju all these years, with Tula Ram later receiving a ransom letter demanding Rs 8 lakh for his son’s release.

Unable to pay the amount, Tula Ram left the matter in the hands of fate, and the investigation eventually went cold.

For three decades, Tula Ram lived in uncertainty over his son's fate. But on November 27, the family's nightmare came to an end as Raju returned home.

After initial reluctance, Raju's mother and sisters identified him by a mole on his chest and a depression in his skull. Sharing his ordeal, Raju said he was given only one roti and tea as meal twice a day.

However, he said he was hopeful that one day he would reunite with his family. His fate took a turn when a Sikh businessman from Delhi, who was purchasing sheep and goats in the area a few days ago, saw Raju being beaten and tied to a tree.

The businessman, moved by Raju's plight, decided to help him. The businessman took Raju with him on his truck, and dropped him off at the Ghaziabad border, with a note stating that he was from Noida and had been kidnapped in 1993, police officials said.

Raju eventually made his way to the Khoda police station in Ghaziabad, where officers arranged food and shelter for him.

After three days of intense search, Khoda police finally located Raju's family.