Solapur, 10 August 2026 — A 55-year-old woman suffering from chronic schizophrenia who had been found wandering at the Yadagirigutta bus stand in Telangana has been reunited with her children in Solapur after nearly three years of silence, officials said on Monday.
Memory return provided key clues
The woman, identified in medical notes only as Asiya, was being sheltered at the Sahrudaya old age home in Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri district, where she had received psychiatric treatment and remained largely non‑verbal since she was found and handed over to police.
Dr B.P. Swaroop, psychiatrist and project officer with the District Mental Health Programme in Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri, said the breakthrough came when he asked the woman whether she wanted to go home. She responded for the first time in nearly three years and gave two short but crucial pieces of information — that she was from near Koli Samaj, Solapur, and the names of her children, Salman and Aksa.
“Mereko ghar bhejte kya? (Will you send me home?)”
Dr Swaroop said he used a web search to show the woman pictures related to the clues; on seeing an image she recognised, she reacted with an expression he had not previously seen and confirmed the match. Those details prompted formal communication with Solapur authorities.
Legal‑aid and police coordination
V. Madhavi Latha, secretary of the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) in Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri, said letters were sent to the Solapur DLSA and the Superintendent of Police in Solapur using the details the woman had recalled. The cross‑district correspondence and follow‑up led officials in Solapur to trace and identify the children named by the woman.
The case was taken up under the National Legal Services Authority scheme for Legal Services to Persons with Mental Illness and Persons with Intellectual Disabilities, known as LSUM (Manonyay), which aims to ensure humane treatment, legal support and timely reunification for non‑criminal persons with mental illness.
Medical history and treatment
Dr Swaroop said the woman had been diagnosed with chronic schizophrenia and was prescribed antipsychotics and antidepressants while in care at the old age home. He added that the vivid memory of a family bereavement might have precipitated the psychiatric illness, a development noted in the patient history he reviewed.
- Found wandering at Yadagirigutta bus stand and handed to police — about three years ago
- Became verbal again and provided location and names — a fortnight ago
- Letters sent from Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri DLSA to Solapur DLSA and Solapur police — subsequently traced children
| Event | Timing |
|---|---|
| Woman found in Yadagirigutta | Approximately three years earlier |
| Regained speech and gave clues | A fortnight before the reunion |
| Reunited with family in Solapur | Following inter‑district correspondence |
The reunion underscores the role of coordinated action between mental‑health services, legal‑aid authorities and police across states. Officials said the woman received psychiatric care at the Sahrudaya old age home and that the LSUM framework ensured she had legal protection and support during the process.
Local civic and health workers in Solapur were informed by the Solapur DLSA after the initial letters, enabling verification and contact with the family named by the woman. Officials did not disclose the precise address in Solapur, citing privacy and the sensitive medical condition of the woman.
The case highlights challenges faced by persons with severe mental illness who become separated from family and the importance of legal and medical mechanisms to prevent prolonged institutionalisation and to facilitate reunification with relatives when possible, according to the District Mental Health Programme official.
Authorities in both districts said they would continue to monitor the woman’s treatment and follow up with the family to ensure continuity of care and social support after her return to Solapur.
(Reporting from Solapur)
