The Stream

After 13 years in Pakistan, #GeetaComesHome to India

Mute woman who accidentally crossed border returned to India.

Thirteen years after a young deaf and mute Indian girl accidentally crossed the border into Pakistan, the two countries are hoping to reunite her with family. Geeta was estimated to be around 11 or 12 years old when she passed through the border, and previous efforts to find her family in India fell through. 

The Indian government is currently searching for Geeta’s relatives. She is said to have recognised a family in India who also lost their daughter, and will undergo DNA testing. If the family is not a match, the authorities say they will find a “suitable institution” for her.

Residents of both countries went online to send their best wishes to Geeta as she returned to India.