Couple reunited with son after two decades

Avinash was adopted by U.S.-based family

It was an ecstatic reunion at a hotel in Sholinganallur when Nageshwar Rao and Abirami hugged their 22-year-old son Avinash, who was kidnapped in 1999 and later adopted by a U.S.-based couple.

“I’m happy they are doing well. I was overwhelmed when I saw them for the first time,” Mr. Avinash said speaking to The Hindu. “I enjoyed the food cooked by my birth mother. She cooks really well,” Mr. Avinash added.

“I owe a lot to the couple who adopted him and wish to meet them. He does not know Tamil. Our advocate S. Mohanavadivelan and his daughter have been translating,” Mr. Nageshwar said.

However, this is the result of arduous efforts since February 18, 1999, when Avinash, who was one and half years old, was kidnapped by an unidentified person while playing outside his house. He was sold to the Malayasian Social Service (MSS). He stayed there for a year before being adopted by the U.S. based couple.

“When police complaints got no proper response, we filed a habeas corpus case in the Madras High Court and after the CBI started investigating the cases against MSS, we found out that Avinash was in the U.S. In 2008, I sent a letter to the American couple but we were not able to contact him,” Mr. Mohanavadivelan recalled. The family decided to wait till he turned 18. “In 2015, he sent me a mail asking if I was still in touch with his parents and expressed his desire to meet them,” he added. Since then, they have been in touch.

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