Kendrapada: A tattoo in Odia script on her hand helped establish the identity of a 70-year-old woman who had been separated from her family for decades, and reunite her with her relatives in Odisha’s Kendrapada district.
Pramila Malik, a resident of Baluria village, was traced to an old-age home in Himachal Pradesh and brought back to her native place October 4, police said Monday.
According to her son Dhruva Charan Mallik, Pramila had left her matrimonial home and parental house decades ago, and subsequently lost contact with her family.
She returned home after nearly 35 years, but could not meet her husband Dinabandhu, who died around six months ago, her son said.
The tattoo in Odia script on her hand indicated that she was from Odisha, following which authorities began searching for her family and traced them to the Pattamundai area of Kendrapara district, police said.
As per institutional records, Pramila stayed at the Mental Health Institute in Himachal Pradesh’s Shimla from 2011 to 2018. She was subsequently admitted to Nari Niketan in Shimla and later shifted to an old-age home at Bhangrotu in Mandi district in February 2023.
A team led by the Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Balh in Himachal Pradesh traced her identity and family with the assistance of the Odisha Police. Pramila then expressed her desire to return to Odisha and reunite with her family.
Following the direction of the Kendrapara SP, a special police team was formed September 26 and sent to Himachal Pradesh. After completing the necessary formalities and coordinating with local authorities, the team brought Pramila back to Odisha.
She was reunited with her family at her native village October 4, police said.
“The reunion was made possible through coordination between authorities in Himachal Pradesh and Odisha, with arrangements made for Pramila’s safety and well-being,” an officer said.
