Boy seeking alms rescued, rejoins mother

According to sources, Thanjavur officials from the NGO rescued the boy who identified himself as Dharun and was found begging at the Karur junction railway station. The boy had revealed his mother’s name to be Chithra and his father as Suresh, while identifying his native town to be Pollachi. Subsequently, officials spread information on the boy in all platforms, including on social media.

On coming to know of the boy, Dharun’s mother who was actually named Vasanthi, grandmother Lakshmi along with a few relatives approached the NGO officials in Thanjavur on Friday and met chairperson Thilagavathi. After verifying identity documents they produced, the boy was brought from the home where he was staying in the past couple of weeks to the office. On seeing Vasanthi, the boy screamed, and running in excitement, hugged her and cried inconsolably.

A visibly moved Vasanthi told media that she and her sister Chithra were married to Suresh. As Vasanthi’s youngest son was reportedly mentally challenged, she asked her sister Chithra to take care of Dharun. Mentioning Dharun as often accompanying his father to work, Vasanthi said Dharun went missing during one such instance in November 2018. “We searched for him everywhere but could not locate him,” she added. The boy was sent along with his mother and relatives on Friday.