ChatGPT tracked down village of lost Punjab pilgrim who reached Bihar after boarding wrong train, helped reunite him with family

A Punjab man who went missing during a pilgrimage to Amritsar ended up hundreds of kilometres away in Bihar after boarding the wrong train. He was eventually reunited with his family after a local resident used ChatGPT and internet searches to trace the village the elderly man could remember, India Today reported on Monday.

Chaman Lal, a resident of Fatehgarh Gujran village 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 Lal has memory-related problems.

During the pilgrimage, Lal became separated from the rest of his group and reached Amritsar railway station. He mistakenly boarded a train bound for Bihar and eventually reached Gayaji.

Near Gayaji railway station, a local resident, Neeraj, noticed Lal. He appeared distressed and hungry and was unable to give his complete address.

Lal could only remember the name of his village, Fatehgarh Gujran. Neeraj took him home, gave him food and kept him with his family for around four days while trying to locate his relatives.

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ChatGPT helps trace Punjab village

Lal spoke Punjabi, so Neeraj began searching for the village using the name Lal had given him. According to the report, he spent around three days searching ChatGPT and the internet with different combinations of the village name.

The searches eventually led him to Fatehgarh Gujran village in Ludhiana district, near Machhiwara Sahib.

Neeraj then decided to accompany Lal back to Punjab rather than send him alone. He travelled with him from Gayaji to Ludhiana and continued towards the Machhiwara area.

Local resident recognises Lal

After reaching the area, Neeraj showed Lal's photograph to local residents and asked if anyone recognised him.

A local man, Master Krishan Lal, eventually identified him. He had previously seen Lal's photograph on social media, where it had been circulated during the search for him.

Krishan Lal contacted Lal's family, following which his grandson, Sukhchain Singh, reached Machhiwara and identified his grandfather.

Lal had gone missing from Amritsar but was reunited with his family after several days following the efforts of Neeraj and other local residents.

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Family thanks Neeraj

Neeraj, who works in the construction sector in Gayaji, said he decided to help after finding Lal alone and distressed near the railway station. After identifying his village, he also took responsibility for ensuring Lal reached his family safely.

Sukhchain Singh said the family had searched extensively for Lal in Amritsar and had also informed the police. His photograph had also been circulated on social media by family members and villagers looking for him.

The family thanked Neeraj for sheltering Lal, caring for him and personally accompanying him from Gayaji to Punjab to reunite him with his relatives.