Aadhaar card helps mother trace son lodged in Goa prison

Kalady(Kerala): An Aadhaar card has helped an 80-year-old mother from Kerala, who had been waiting for the past 16 years to hear from her son, trace him to the Agauda central prison in Goa.

The aged mother, Kalyani, hailing from Sreemoolanagaram village near Nedumbasery airport, has been living alone in her dilapidated house, hoping her son, VV Mohan, who had gone to Goa in search of a job 16 years ago, would turn up some day.

After the death of her husband and two elder sons, she had been living alone and was being helped by neighbours for her daily needs.

Despite age related frailities and failing eyesight, she never gave up hope. Her prayers were answered in the form of an Aadhaar card which landed at her doorstep a few weeks ago.

Kalyani approached Sreemoolanagaram Panchayat President, KC Martin, her neighbour, when she received a postal cover. Martin said that that when he opened the cover, he was surprised to find Mohan's Aadhaar card and then the search began to trace him. The family had no photograph of him.

The Panchayat President along with some relatives and neighbours made enquries with Kerala Samajam, Panjim, and learnt that Mohan was behind bars for the past 13 years in connection with the murder of his employer.

Enquries revealed Mohan had managed to get a carpentry job in a furniture manufacturing shop at Bambolin soon after his arrival.

However, an altercation in a fit of anger with his Karnataka employer resulted in his death and he was awarded life imprisonment by Goa High Court, Panjim Kerala Samajam President, Lalu Abraham, said.

Abraham along with the team from Kerala met Mohan at the central jail on last Saturday. "We went to the prison on Saturday last, met Mohan and informed him about his mother."

Jail authorities were also surprised that no one had come looking for Mohan for the last 13 years and he had also never sought parole, Abraham said, adding the officials had sought some necessary papers with regard to his mother. All efforts were being made to get him an early parole, he said.