GPS-enabled necklace helps family trace missing 79-year-old woman to Mumbai hospital

Mumbai: A 79-year-old woman who went missing during her evening walk in south Mumbai was traced within hours after her grandson used a GPS tracker embedded in her necklace, police and hospital officials said.

Saira Bi Tajuddin Mulla had been out for a walk on December 3 when she was knocked down by a two-wheeler in the Sewree area. Bystanders immediately rushed her to KEM Hospital. With no way to inform her family at the time, she was admitted for treatment.

When Mulla did not return home, her family grew anxious. Her grandson, Mohammed Wasim Ayub Mulla, then activated the GPS tracker he had secretly placed inside her necklace as a safety measure. The device showed her location at KEM Hospital in Parel, about five kilometres from where the accident occurred.

The family reached the hospital and later shifted her to JJ Hospital for specialised care after she was found to have suffered a head injury. Officials said she is currently responding well to treatment.

Wasim Mulla, who works at a private firm in Nallasopara, told authorities he had installed the tracker to ensure his grandmother’s safety during her routine walks.

(with inputs from agencies)