Abducted and sold in 1999, Tamil man reunites with family after 20 years

Born as Subash, Avinash was barely a year-and-half-old when he was kidnapped from his residence. Twenty-years-later he has come back home to teary-eyed parents.

A teary-eyed Sivagami couldn’t take her eyes off Avinash, her youngest son who visited their residence at Pulianthope in Chennai on Wednesday. This was the first time she saw her son in 20 years, as he was abducted and sold to an orphanage that did illegal adoptions in 1999.

Loved by all in the locality, Avinash was welcomed with a traditional aarti. Relatives and neighbours gathered in the cramped house to get a glimpse of the boy who went missing in February 1999.

Born as Subash, Avinash was barely a year-and-half-old when he was kidnapped from his residence. An unidentified man kidnapped Avinash and sold him to the now-defunct Malaysian Social Service. The orphanage was later shut down after investigations revealed that it had facilitated illegal adoptions of more than 300 kids stolen from poor families to foreign couples.

Sivagami and her husband Nageshwar Rao relentlessly pursued the search for their son. They sold their house to finance the investigation and tracked down every rumour they heard. After several years, a CBI investigation in the case tracked down Avinash living with an American family. With the help of Advocate Mohanavadivel, the couple was able to realise their dream of meeting their son.

We are very happy to reunite with our son. I am thankful to God that I got the opportunity to spend a few days with my son. I am very happy but also a bit sad because he will leave soon, Nageshwar Rao told India Today TV.

A graduate in finance, 22-year-old Avinash was adopted and raised in Wisconsin, United States. Four years ago, Avinash decided to get in touch with his biological parents.

After exchanging texts with his family, Avinash came to Chennai on Sunday. It was an emotional reunion for the family. I was overwhelmed and speechless when I saw my birth parents. It was a happy moment. I got some comfort and peace when I met them, Avinash said.

During his stay, Avinash toured Chennai, Puducherry and Mahabalipuram along with his biological family and got a taste of south Indian cuisine and culture. He has also enrolled in a Tamil class at his hometown in the United States and hopes to learn the language to communicate better with his family.

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