In a remarkable display of community effort and technology, a 54-year-old woman prisoner was finally reunited with her family at the Dum Dum Central Correctional Home in Kolkata on Sunday. The reunion, which ended over a decade of separation, was made possible by the relentless work of HAM radio enthusiasts who traced her relatives after prison authorities hit a dead end.
A Prisoner in Limbo After Serving Her Time
The woman, identified as Shakuntala Lamchini, had completed a full 14-year prison term for the murder of her mother. However, her release was stuck in administrative limbo because the jail authorities had absolutely no information about her family or where she could go. According to prison officials, her father had passed away, she was convicted for killing her mother, and she had lost all contact with her husband and children during her incarceration.
Shakuntala was arrested on February 6, 2010, from Kharagpur. She was later convicted under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code and sentenced to 14 years of imprisonment. She served most of her term at the Midnapore Central Correctional Home before being transferred to Dum Dum in June of this year.
Throughout her long years in prison, no family member ever visited her. Her relatives, scattered and out of touch, were unaware if she was even alive.
The Nationwide HAM Radio Search
The breakthrough came when the correctional home's welfare officer, Aniruddha Ghosh, initiated an effort to trace her family. He reached out to the West Bengal Radio Club (WBRC), whose members took up the challenge.
Ambarish Nag Biswas, the secretary of WBRC, explained that their network of HAM radio volunteers launched a massive nationwide search. The hunt spanned numerous locations including Kalimpong, Darjeeling, Nepal, Salua in Kharagpur, and several other places. They circulated Shakuntala's details across their extensive radio network, hoping for a lead.
"Finally, we found her husband," Nag Biswas stated. The search revealed that her husband was a CISF official posted at Bengaluru airport. With the cooperation of the CISF, he was granted leave and immediately made plans to travel to Kolkata.
The Emotional Sunday Reunion
On Sunday, the long-awaited reunion finally took place. Shakuntala's husband arrived at the Dum Dum jail accompanied by their two children. Their son, who works at a hotel in Dubai, and their daughter, who is married and lives with her in-laws in Kalimpong, were both present for the emotional meeting.
This case highlights a critical gap in the rehabilitation and release process for prisoners who have severed all family ties. It also underscores the powerful role that community networks and amateur radio technology can play in solving complex human problems where conventional methods fail.
The successful reunion, facilitated by the goodwill and technical skill of HAM radio volunteers, marks a new beginning for Shakuntala Lamchini and her family, closing a painful chapter that lasted over 14 years.
