Pune: Man finds missing father’s photo in Maharashtra govt ad, asks police to investigate

A man from Pune contacted the police after discovering his missing father's photo on a Maharashtra government poster. The poster, for the Mukhyamantra Teerth Darshan Yojana, was recently uploaded on a social media account associated with the ruling Shiv Sena.

Bharat Tambe, who is from Shikrapur, asked the police and state government to investigate the details of an Instagram advertisement featuring his missing father, 68-year-old Dnyaneshwar Tambe. He hopes this will help trace his father and reunite him with the family.

"One of my friends saw this advertisement and alerted me by sending a screenshot. My father is missing for the past three years. I have filed a missing person complaint at Shikrapur police station. The authorities and the state government must trace my father. The social media post featuring the advertisement has now been deleted," Bharat Tambe, an eatery owner, told PTI on Monday. "We had not filed a complaint earlier as my father had the habit of going to homes of relatives without informing anyone. He used to return in a few days. There is a possibility this photograph has been taken from the wari (foot march of Lord Vitthal devotees) from Alandi to Pandharpur," he said.

Shikrapur police station's senior inspector, Deepratan Gaikwad, said that two teams have been deployed to trace Dnyaneshwar Tambe. They are currently focusing on Pandharpur and Alandi areas, as the family believes the photo was taken during the war. They will also investigate how the image ended up in the advertisement.

After several media reports surfaced, the state government clarified that the advertisement was neither released by them nor posted on any government-linked social media accounts.

The recently announced Mukhyamantri Teerth Darshan Yojana is designed to facilitate pilgrimages for senior citizens of all communities.