Rourkela: In an emotional reunion at Rourkela railway station on Tuesday, a man returned home after spending 18 years in alleged captivity in Jammu and Kashmir’s Samba district.

Purushottam Goud broke down in tears as he saw his mother and family members after nearly two decades. Overwhelmed with emotion, he hugged his mother and relatives, while neighbours welcomed him with garlands.

Purushottam, who had been living in Jammu and Kashmir for years, has forgotten his mother tongue and now speaks only Hindi and the local language of the region.

A resident of Suidihi Sonaparbat under Lathikata block in Sundargarh district, Purushottam was taken away at the age of 13. At the time, he was studying in Class VIII at a local school. According to reports, a truck driver from the area lured him with the promise of a job and took him to Jammu and Kashmir. He was allegedly left at the house of a businessman named Kuldeep Gupta in Samba, where he was forced to work like a bonded labourer and lived in confinement.

Purushottam’s mother, Ullasi, had adopted him due to the family’s poor financial condition. After he went missing, she searched extensively and filed a complaint at the local police station. She also approached district officials, but to no avail.

In a sudden turn of events, Ullasi received an unknown phone call in January this year. The caller informed her about Purushottam and provided a contact number. Overjoyed at getting her son’s contact after 18 years, she approached the local sarpanch and shared the details.

The sarpanch then helped her meet Raghunathpali MLA Durga Charan Tanti. The legislator took up the matter with Western Range DIG Brijesh Rai.

Following coordinated efforts, Purushottam finally returned home. He and his family have expressed gratitude to MLA Tanti and others who helped in securing his release and safe return.