Uttarakhand family reunites with man presumed dead for 24 years, thanks to social media

PITHORAGARH: It was a moment of joy and relief for the family of 54-year-old Pramod Singh Negi from Pauri Garhwal when he was reunited with them, 24 years after he had vanished from home, and presumed dead by his family.

Negi, a resident of Ayal village, had abruptly left home on Dec 4, 2000, without informing anyone. Despite an extensive search, no trace of him was found. Over time, his family presumed him dead and even performed his last rites. His wife, Laxmi Devi, had also been receiving a widow's pension for the past 15 years.

Last week, on Dec 30, a villager from Ayal spotted his photo shared in a social media group, seeking information about his identity. The villager felt the man in the picture resembled Negi and immediately informed his family. The following day, Negi's 26-year-old son, Sudama, accompanied by his cousin and uncle, travelled to Baluwakot in Dharchula, Pithoragarh district, where Negi had been living all these years.

Locals in Baluwakot revealed that Negi had been residing on the campus of a temple, performing odd jobs to sustain himself. He appeared to have suffered memory loss and was not known to communicate much with anyone.

Recently, a social activist Jeevan Thakur had met Negi and became curious about his origins. After persistent questioning, Negi recalled the name of his village -- Ayal. "I searched for the village online and found that it was in Pauri Garhwal. Thereafter, I posted Negi's photo and details on social media while reaching out to contacts from the region," Thakur said.

Meanwhile, Negi's family members soon reached Dharchula, and confirmed to Thakur that he was indeed their long-lost relative. A tattoo on his hand helped further prove his identity.

Sudama, who was just one year old when his father disappeared, expressed mixed emotions about the reunion. "I had never seen my father's face until now. We are overjoyed, but we haven't told him about all that happened in his absence," he said. Sudama shared that the family had faced immense hardships during Negi's disappearance. Both of his grandparents had passed away, and his elder brother, Tejpal, too, had died by suicide just a month ago, in Nov 2024.

Negi is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital in Dehradun while his family is gearing up to reinstate his long-cancelled identification documents.