Gaya: An elderly Punjab pilgrim who went missing during a visit to Amritsar was reunited with his family after a local resident in Gaya used ChatGPT and online searches to trace his village.
Chaman Lal, from Fatehgarh Gujran in Ludhiana, had travelled to Amritsar on September 11 under the Punjab government’s Chief Minister Pilgrimage Scheme to visit the Golden Temple.
His family said he has memory-related problems. After becoming separated from his group, Lal reached Amritsar railway station and accidentally boarded a train to Bihar, eventually arriving in Gaya.
Near Gaya railway station, local resident Neeraj found Lal distressed and hungry. Unable to recall his full address, Lal could only name his village.
Neeraj took him home, provided food and shelter and kept him with his family for about four days.
Since Lal spoke Punjabi, Neeraj spent around three days using different combinations of the village name on ChatGPT and the internet.
The searches led him to Fatehgarh Gujran near Machhiwara Sahib in Ludhiana district.
Neeraj then travelled with Lal from Gaya to Punjab. In Machhiwara, he showed Lal’s photograph to residents until Master Krishan Lal recognised him from a picture circulated on social media.
Lal’s grandson Sukhchain Singh arrived and identified him, ending the family’s search. Singh said relatives had searched across Amritsar and informed police before Lal was traced.
The family thanked Neeraj for caring for Lal and personally ensuring his safe return home.
