In a miraculous turn of events, a seven-year-old boy who was kidnapped from Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad district more than 30 years ago has reunited with his family.
Now 38, Raju shared his ordeal and said that after being abducted in September 1993, he was handed over to a truck driver who took him to Jaisalmer in Rajasthan.
"The kidnappers kept me in a room located in the middle of a barren area, where I was forced to take care of sheep and goats. Each night, I was chained and locked in the room," he said.
According to his father Tula Ram, the kidnapping took place when Raju and his sister were returning home from Deen Bandhu Public School in Sahibabad. After an argument with his sister, Raju sat by the roadside when three people arrived in a tempo and abducted him, Tula Ram, a retired Delhi government employee, said.
An FIR was lodged at Sahibabad police station. Despite extensive searches, police could not recover Raju, and Tula Ram later received a ransom letter demanding Rs 8 lakh. Unable to pay the amount, Tula Ram left the matter in the hands of fate, and the investigation eventually went cold.
For three decades, Tula Ram lived in uncertainty over his son's fate. But on November 27, the family's nightmare came to an end as Raju returned home.
WATCH: Kidnapped boy finds family after 31 years
After initial reluctance, Raju's mother and sisters identified him by a mole on his chest and a depression in his skull.
Sharing his ordeal, Raju said he was given only one roti and tea as meal twice a day. However, he said he was hopeful that one day he would reunite with his family.
His fate took a turn when a Sikh businessman from Delhi, who was purchasing sheep and goats in the area a few days ago, saw Raju being beaten and tied to a tree. The businessman, moved by Raju's plight, decided to help him.
The businessman took Raju with him on his truck, and dropped him off at the Ghaziabad border, with a note stating that he was from Noida and had been kidnapped in 1993, police officials said.
Raju eventually made his way to Khoda police station in Ghaziabad, where officers arranged food and shelter for him. After three days of intense search, Khoda police finally located Raju's family.
The reunion was a moment of joy for Tula Ram.
ACP Rajneesh Upadhyay said that after completing all the necessary legal formalities, police had successfully reunited Raju with his family.
"The case, which had once seemed hopeless, has now brought an emotional closure for both Raju and his family after more than three decades of anguish," said the officer.
