She was frail, disoriented, and could remember only her name — Godavari Raut — and that she was lost.

This is the story of a woman in her 70s who was separated from her family 12 years ago on the busy streets of Mumbai.

It was meant to be like any other casual visit to the city for a family from Parbhani district in Maharashtra, a village nearly 200 kilometres away. Instead, it turned into a nightmare when Godavari got separated from her sons.

The sons made countless visits to police stations and filed complaints to trace their missing mother. But as the years passed, hope slowly faded, and they resigned themselves to the possibility that she might never return home.

That changed on the night of 13 January 2026.

During a routine patrol at JJ Junction in Byculla, Mumbai Police spotted Godavari. Her condition immediately drew attention. A police team, including a woman constable, took her into protective custody. She was cleaned up,........

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