Patiala, July 31 -- A Tamil Nadu man who had been missing since 2003 was reunited with his family, thanks to the coordinated efforts by an NGO, Apna Farz Sewa Society, a retired Haryana government official, a journalist and district administrations of Patiala and Coimbatore.

Prakasam, a native of Aruppukottai in Tamil Nadu's Virudhunagar district, was 16 when he left home following a quarrel with his younger brother. The family had lodged a missing person's complaint, and despite years of searching, they were unable to trace him.

He eventually reached Punjab, where he was allegedly forced to work as a bonded labourer at a brick kiln in Amritsar. He was rescued by the NGO in 2022.

After his rescue, Prakasam was able to recall only fragm...