Mumbai: What began as a routine anti-begging drive in Mumbai turned into an emotional story of compassion and reunion, revealing the humane side of the Mumbai Police.

For 47 days, 25-year-old Abhay Suresh Belkoni, a third-year BHMS student from Nanded, had been missing. Separated from his belongings and contact details during a train journey and struggling with mental distress, he drifted across cities before ending up begging on Mumbai’s streets.

During a rehabilitation drive in Malad, police personnel noticed the young man looking disoriented and exhausted. Instead of treating him as just another homeless person, officers sat with him, fed him and patiently tried to understand his story.

Through fragmented conversations, Abhay mentioned Nanded. Police then cross-checked missing person records and eventually traced his family. What followed at the Malad police station was an emotional reunion as Abhay’s parents broke down on seeing their son alive after weeks of uncertainty.

The episode has resonated widely not just because a missing student returned home, but because of the empathy shown by the officers involved. In a city that rarely slows down, Mumbai Police chose compassion over procedure and helped bring a son back to his family.

BI Bureau