Coimbatore Corporation’s night shelter helps two reunite with families in Jharkhand

Two persons from Jharkhand were reunited with their families after being rescued by the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) and the R.S. Puram B2 Police.

Nirendar Bara, 29, was identified by AHTU at Town Hall on August 31, 2024, while Raj Kumar Toppo, 34, was brought to the Corporation night shelter in R.S. Puram on October 4, 2024, after being found starving at Kumaraswamy Lake in the city.

K. Gangadharan, caretaker of Malarumvizhigal NGO, which manages the shelter, reported that both youth had come to Coimbatore in search of jobs. With only a Plus Two education and from poor families, they struggled to find work and were starving for nearly a week before being taken to the shelter. They stayed there for over a month before their reunion with family members.

“The initiative to facilitate their reunion involved Rengaswami, a former Border Security Force (BSF) personnel at the night shelter. Using his contacts, Rengaswami reached out to LNK Sameer Toppo, a local representative from their hometown in Jharkhand, who coordinated with the local police to verify the men’s identities and residence. The Jharkhand police arranged for a relative to travel to Coimbatore to escort them home and provided ₹1,200 for travel expenses. We purchased train tickets for the return journey. After reaching home, the reunited men sent pictures to the night shelter, capturing their reunion with their families.” said Mr. Gangadharan.

Published - November 02, 2024 06:44 pm IST