Kolkata, Aug 16 : A pair of black rubber slippers with the number 24 prominently painted on them in white helped trace the family of a mentally-challenged man found at Canning in West Bengal's South 24-Parganas district.

The family of the man, identified as Suresh Mudiya, was traced to Belkhedi in Madhya Pradesh, thanks to the efforts of amateur radio operators.

Suresh was found sleeping on the roadside by villagers at Thakuraniberia in Canning-I Block.

What caught the villagers' attention was the unique pair of slippers lying next to him, prompting them to get in touch with the Canning police station.

After carrying out a preliminary probe, Sougata Ghosh, the officer-in-charge at the police station, directed the villagers to get in touch with the West Bengal Radio Club (WBRC), an organisation of amateur radio operators known for their acumen in reuniting mentally-challenged people with their families.

"We received a call from Rekaul Mandal, the husband panchayat pradhan Salma Mandal, who explained everything to us. We immediately realised that the slippers were of the kind worn by prisoners. The number on them refers to the designated cell.

"After a lot of effort, we traced the family to Narsimhapur in Madhya Pradesh. People there immediately recognised Suresh from his photograph but seemed hesitant to talk. One of them said the man was a murder convict and was serving life sentence. He also claimed that Suresh's family had left the village," said Ambarish Nag Biswas, Secretary, WBRC.

The operators then got in touch with prison authorities in Madhya Pradesh who confirmed that Suresh had been released from jail after serving a 20-year sentence. While leaving, he had been allowed to wear the slippers as he had no belongings of his own.

This led to another search. Finally, Suresh's mother Kanti Bai Mudiya was traced who broke down on seeing her son's photograph.

"She claimed that Suresh, in a fit of rage, had thrown off his brother-in-law from his motorcycle. The man died at a hospital after a week. Suresh had been convicted and sent to prison. He apparently received remission after his mental health condition started deteriorating.

"He left prison but could remember nothing. As is common with such people, he seems to have got on a train and reached West Bengal. His family had no clue. Suresh broke down on seeing his mother's photograph and said that he wants to go back to her. His family members are on their way to Canning to take him back. We thank the villagers for providing him shelter and food," Nag Biswas said.

/IANS