Teen Reunites with Family After 14 Years Lost in India

After 14 years of wondering if he'd ever see his family again, Raja is going home.

The 18-year-old was just four when he got separated from his parents during a 2012 train journey from Chaibasa to Howrah. His family was migrating in search of work when Raja accidentally boarded a train heading to Kerala instead. He ended up in Ernakulam, over 1,500 miles from home, and spent his childhood moving between government shelter homes.

Two weeks ago, staff at Raja's aftercare home in Thalassery asked about his future. He had one simple answer: he wanted to find his family.

Md Ashraf OK, the former superintendent, reached out to contacts who work on missing children cases. Raja remembered his parents' names, his siblings, and that his village sat on a hill near a school in Chaibasa. It wasn't much to go on, but it was enough.

Social media influencer Aayush Rana created a video appeal with these details and shared it online. Within 48 hours, the post exploded with 290,000 shares, 149,000 likes, and 8,000 reposts.

Then came the call that changed everything. Someone recognized Raja as his cousin and connected them with the family, who had moved to Bengal for work at a brick kiln.

A video call was arranged between Raja and his mother. After nearly 15 years, they saw each other's faces again. Both immediately recognized one another.

Sunny's Take

The response shows how powerful community connection can be. Activists, police, child protection officers, and thousands of ordinary people who shared the post all played a part in bringing Raja home.

District officials confirmed Raja's identity and his family's location in Hadimara village. His family has already returned to Chaibasa from Bengal, waiting for his arrival. A police team and child protection officers are completing paperwork to bring him back to Jharkhand.

Raja spent most of his life in shelters, but he never forgot where he came from or who he belonged to.

Now he's finally going home.