When Abhinash was one and a half years old, he had been kidnapped by an unidentified person while playing right outside his own house. This was on the 18th of February, 1999.
Yesterday, 20 years after that unfateful day, he met his birth parents for the first time. Abhinash is now 22-years-old and had been adopted by an US-based couple.
Speaking to The Hindu about the reunion with his birth parents, Abinash said:
I’m happy they are doing well. I was overwhelmed when I saw them for the first time…I enjoyed the food cooked by my birth mother. She cooks really well.
Nageshawar Rao, Avinash’s birth father also thanked his couple who adopted and raised him.
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.
According to reports, Avinash had been kidnapped and sold to the Malayasian Social Service (MSS). He had stayed there for a year before being adopted by the U.S. based couple.
Nageshwar and his wife, Abirami’s lawyer, Mohanavadivelan recalled the incident from years ago and said:
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.