Lost for 35 years, woman reunites with Odisha family. Tattoo was clue

For nearly 35 years, Pramila had remained separated from her family in Odisha, with fragmented memories of her past, an Odia tattoo on her arm and institutional records that identified her by a different name.

On Tuesday, a major breakthrough in the search for her family came when Pramila, currently staying at an old-age home in Himachal Pradesh, spoke to her relatives in Odisha over a video call.

Originally from Kendrapara district in Odisha, Pramila had spent several years away from her home state. In some institutional records, she was identified as Ramkali Malik, complicating efforts to establish her identity and trace her family.

According to records, Pramila stayed at a mental healthcare facility in Shimla between 2011 and 2018. She later lived at Nari Niketan in Shimla before being shifted to an old-age home in Bhangrotu, where she continued to receive care and support.

The effort to trace Pramila’s family gained momentum after Mission Apno Tak, a Himachal Pradesh government initiative focused on identifying and reuniting missing, homeless and vulnerable people with their families, took up her case.

Local administrator Smritika Negi, accompanied by a welfare official from Dharamshila, visited the old-age home and spoke to Pramila to gather information about her past. While her memories were fragmented, she was able to recall several places in Odisha.

One of the significant clues was an Odia tattoo on her arm. Pramila also remembered Cuttack and other locations in Odisha, helping investigators narrow down her possible place of origin.

Short videos of Pramila recalling details about her past were shared with India Cares, which helped extend the search to Odisha. The Odisha Police subsequently joined the effort to verify the information and trace her relatives.

The search was expanded through local contacts and police officials in Odisha. Amit Kumar Malik of the Odisha Police followed up on the leads and helped verify details relating to Pramila’s identity and family.

The verification process eventually led authorities to Pramila’s family in Kendrapara.FAMILY LOCATED AFTER DECADES

After her relatives were traced, Pramila spoke to them through a video call on Tuesday from the old-age home in Himachal Pradesh.

The video call marked the first known direct contact between Pramila and her family after nearly 35 years of separation. Further steps regarding her physical reunion with her family are yet to take place.- Ends