Buxar: A routine checking drive by excise department officials at the Veer Kunwar Singh checkpost in Buxar district turned emotional on Wednesday evening, when they unexpectedly reunited a man with his family eight years after he went missing. Detained for consuming liquor, the young man — identified as Sudhir Das of Samastipur — left officers stunned as a simple verification drive unfolded into a long-awaited homecoming filled with relief, disbelief and tears. During questioning and address verification, officials identified Sudhir as the son of Gyani Das, a resident of Maricha village under Halai police station in the district. After contacting the local police, they learnt that Sudhir had been missing for nearly eight years. Samastipur police and his family were immediately informed. His family members, along with Kailashi Das, ward councillor of Morwa-17, reached Buxar on Thursday and expressed joy at finding him alive after such a long time.However, the reunion also brought back painful memories. Gyani Das said Sudhir was married and had a two-year-old child when he went missing. Despite extensive searches, the family failed to trace him. About a year later, his wife returned to her parental home with their child, and after waiting three to four years, she remarried.Sudhir is the fourth among seven brothers and also has three sisters. His mother died of electrocution around 17 years ago. Described as quiet since childhood, he worked as a daily wage worker. He has been unable to clearly explain why he left home or where he lived all these years, saying only that he survived by doing odd jobs.Buxar excise superintendent Ashraf Jamal said what began as a routine checking drive turned into a rare case of family reunion. “The man had left home eight years ago. On Thursday, he was reunited with his family,” he said, adding that the incident would remain memorable for the department as well.
