TikTok video helps in reuniting missing disabled man with family in Telangana after 2 years

A 60-year-old hearing and speech impaired man, who had gone missing over two years ago from Telangana, has been traced in Punjab and reunited with his family on Sunday thanks to a video shared on TikTok, police said.

Police traced to Ludhiana the location of R Venkateshwarlu, who went missing from Bhadradri-Kothagudem district in April 2018, after the man's daughter and son saw him taking food in a visual posted on the video sharing platform.

The man's son Peddiraju reached Ludhiana on Sunday and was returning with his father to their native place, police said.

Earlier, Police traced the video to a police constable of Ludhiana, who had posted it. Later police traced the location of the missing man and his son recognised him during a video call was made to verify the identity of Venkateshwarlu, a police official told PTI. Peddiraju left for Punjab in a vehicle after a pass was issued for the travel, the official said adding the the father and son would reach Telangana by Monday.

A missing case was registered after Venkateshwarlus family members filed a complaint, but he remained untraced till they stumbled on the video. They expressed their happiness and thanked everyone who helped them in reuniting the man with his family.