A father's relief, a team's triumph! How Delhi police tracked a missing mentally challenged man across state lines to bring him home

NEW DELHI: The world does not stop when a vulnerable soul wanders into the dark; it simply grows larger, colder, and more terrifying. On the night of May 24, the Soni household in Delhi’s Keshav Puram was swallowed by this sudden, quiet nightmare.

Shivam Soni, a 29-year-old battling severe mental health challenges, slipped out into the midnight stillness. For his elderly father, the realization the next morning was a suffocating blow. Shivam, who relied on specialized treatment from IHBAS Hospital, was alone in a city that rarely notices the lost.

When the frantic father reached Police Station Keshav Puram on May 25, his despair was met not with bureaucratic delay, but with immediate, empathetic urgency. Inspector Rajeev's team refused to treat Shivam as just another case file. They knew that for a young man in Shivam’s condition, time was a luxury they did not possess.

What followed was a masterclass in relentless policing fueled by human compassion. ASI Mohit, HC Laxmikanth, HC Sanjeev, HC Sachin, and HC Mukesh glued their eyes to glowing CCTV monitors, tracing a ghostly digital breadcrumb trail. They watched with aching hearts as the footage revealed Shivam walking aimlessly, a solitary figure navigating five grueling kilometers along the roaring Ring Road toward Dhaula Kuan.

As the hours bled into days, the search expanded into a desperate race against time. Wireless messages crackled across state lines, and Shivam’s photograph was flashed to hospitals, shelters, and Gurudwaras.

The breakthrough finally came on May 27, nearly 40 kilometers away in Sohna City, Gurugram. Exhausted, disoriented, but alive, Shivam had been spotted wandering the unfamiliar streets of Haryana.

Without a moment’s hesitation, the Keshav Puram team rushed to Gurugram. When they finally found him, the tension that had gripped the officers for three days dissolved. They didn't just secure a missing person; they shielded a fragile life.

The emotional climax unfolded back at the police station. When Shivam’s elderly father saw his son walk through the doors, unharmed, the crushing weight of the past 72 hours gave way to tears of profound relief.

The old man wept openly, his hands trembling as he thanked the exhausted officers who had treated his son's life as dearly as their own. In a world often desensitized by chaos, the dedicated team at PS Keshav Puram proved that a badge is more than authority — it is a promise that no one is truly forgotten.Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Bakrid wishes, messages and eid 2026