DEHRADUN: A 40-year-old man hailing from Madurai, Tamil Nadu, was found wandering alone in the jungles of Bageshwar district, around 320 km away from Dehradun, on Friday by some locals who were out for their morning walk. He was in a shabby condition with long hair, dirty nails and torn clothes, and could only speak in Tamil.
Locals found it difficult to communicate with him initially but eventually managed to get some help. Tamil Nadu's social welfare department will now send an official to take him back. Locals provided the man, identified as Venkatesh, some clothes, food and shelter before contacting Akhil Joshi Azad, a social activist.
"He spoke only Tamil, which I could figure out from some of the words. He also gestured to say he was from Tamil Nadu," Azad said.
Azad informed the local Baijnath police about the man. Station house officer of Baijnath police station Kailash Bisht told TOI that they failed to get all of Venkatesh's details due to the language issue. Meanwhile, Azad contacted officials of the Tamil Nadu House in Delhi after finding their phone number on the internet. "We contacted them on Saturday and got their information officer, Rajesh Kannan, to speak to Venkatesh" Azad said. Kannan told TOI that Venkatesh "did not seem to be in a sound mental state."
"We contacted the social welfare department of Tamil Nadu government and informed them about the man. One of their officials will reach Delhi by Monday evening. He will then go to Bageshwar and arrange transportation to send Venkatesh to Delhi, and then to Tamil Nadu. He will be united with his family as soon as possible," Kannan said.
