Pune: Pimpri Chinchwad Police Help Reunite Missing 80-Year-Old Woman with Her Family

Pune, 26th October 2024: An 80-year-old woman who had been missing for over a year in Pune District was successfully reunited with her family, thanks to the efforts of the Pimpri Chinchwad Police Commissionerate (PCPC).

The woman, identified as Laxmi Akaram Wankhede (80, resident of Shegaon), had come to Pune with her family but got lost during a pilgrimage to the Shree Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj Samadhi Mandir in Alandi, Khed Taluka.

Despite extensive searches in Alandi, Pune, and their hometown of Shegaon in Buldhana District, her family was unable to locate her, as there were no photos to aid the search. After months of unsuccessful attempts, hope seemed lost—until today.

During a routine vehicle check in the Talawade IT Park Chowk area, officers from the Talawade Traffic Division, under PCPC’s Traffic Branch, stopped a vehicle. The driver noticed an elderly woman sleeping on a nearby food cart and immediately recognized her as the missing person. Police Constable Raju Bhosale from the Talawade Traffic Division acted quickly, asking the driver to contact the woman’s son. The family soon arrived, and the long-lost woman was finally reunited with her loved ones.

For the 1.5 years that Laxmi had been missing, locals from the Traffic Branch, Talawade IT Park, and Chakan MIDC area had been caring for her, providing clothes and medicine as needed. Under the guidance of Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Bapu Bangar, Assistant Police Inspector Madhukar Thorat, and Police Constable Raju Bhosale, the woman was safely returned to her son’s custody.

The emotional reunion was met with overwhelming joy, as the family expressed immense gratitude towards the police and the local community for their compassion and help.