07 February,2026 07:25 AM IST | Mumbai | Ritika Gondhalekar
The missing youth was sitting on a footpath, moments before a passer-by alerted police. Pic/By Special Arrangement
A youth suffering from mental health issues left his home in Nallasopara on January 23. As a responsible newspaper, mid-day has removed all identification markers of the mental health patient and his family in accordance with the Mental Healthcare Act of 2017.
The youth's family initially believed he would return in a couple of days, as he had wandered off earlier as well. "We thought he would come back like before, but this time he didn't," said his father. When the youth failed to return for four days and could not be located at any familiar places, the family filed a missing person complaint at Nallasopara police station on January 27.
On Thursday morning at around 9:15 am, Shampee Chanda, a resident of Worli, noticed a young man sitting on a footpath who appeared disoriented. "I had just dropped my son off at school and was returning home when I saw him sitting alone, looking confused," she said. "I immediately called 100 and informed the police. Worli police arrived and took him to the station."
Chanda said police later told her the youth was able to recall his father's phone number. "That was a good sign. I even called his father myself to confirm the number, and it was correct," she added.
Assistant Police Inspector Vinod Vasawe of Worli police told mid-day that the boy's father requested police to bring him to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Nallasopara, where he works as a priest.
Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Nallasopara, where police claim the missing youth was dropped off before he disappeared again. Pics/By Special Arrangement
"We contacted his father, who asked us to drop him off at the temple. We reached there around 11 am and informed him," Vasawe said. "When he did not arrive for about half an hour, we called again. He then told us to leave the boy there and said the family would pick him up. Since the boy is an adult, we acted as per the father's instructions."
However, the youth's father has disputed this version. "Yes, we asked them to bring him to the temple because we are elderly and could not travel to Worli," he said. "I went to the temple around 3 pm, but my son was not there. No one informed us that they had reached. Why would I not come to take my own son?"
Following the second disappearance, Worli police launched a fresh search in their jurisdiction, while Nallasopara police have also resumed efforts to trace the youth.
If a missing person is below 18 and is found, the police must hand over the child to their parents or legal guardians.
If the child has special needs, the handover must be done only to parents or guardians.
If the missing person is an adult, the police must inform the family, but the individual is legally free to decide where to go.
