The woman was spotted walking alone on the Lathi–Chavand Road at around 11 p.m. on June 29 by a police team on night patrol.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
A routine night patrol by the Lathi police in Gujarat’s Amreli district led to the reunion of a woman with a mental health condition with her family in neighbouring Maharashtra, nearly nine months after she went missing. Officers tracing her identity used a single clue — the word “Talasari” — a reference to a predominantly tribal taluka and municipal council in Maharashtra’s Palghar district.
Also read: Gujarat Police rescue missing teen from Karnataka after five-month search
The woman was spotted walking alone on the Lathi–Chavand Road at around 11 p.m. on June 29 by a police team on night patrol.
When questioned, the woman was unable to disclose her name or address and appeared to be mentally unwell, Amreli Superintendent of Police Sanjay Kharat said.
Tracking down a clue
“She repeatedly uttered the word ‘Talasari’, prompting the officers to search the location on Google Maps. After identifying Talasari in Maharashtra’s Palghar district, the police showed her photographs of the town, which she identified through gestures as her native place,” he told The Hindu.
The Lathi police then contacted the Palghar police control room and obtained the contact details of the Talasari police station. After sharing the woman’s photograph, the Talasari police identified her family and provided the contact number of her father, Shankarbhai Vanshyabhai Valvi.
Mr. Valvi confirmed that the woman was his daughter, Jagrutiben, who had left home around nine months earlier without informing the family. He also told the police that no missing person complaint had been lodged, Mr. Kharat said.
Reunited families
After her identity was verified, Ms. Jagrutiben was accommodated at the Sakhi One Stop Centre in Amreli for temporary care. On July 1, she was reunited with her family after the necessary formalities were completed.
“We understand the pain of families whose loved ones go missing. They are left wondering what might have happened to them. In 2025 and this year, we have taken it up as a mission to trace missing persons, including children who have run away or gone missing, and reunite them with their families,” Mr. Kharat said.
Under Operation Milap, the Amreli district police traced and reunited 100 children and 314 adults with their families during 2025 and 2026.
Published – July 05, 2026 09:59 pm IST
