Modi meets family of Nepali foster son

26-year-old Jeet Bahadur, who is currently pursuing BBA in Ahmedabad, had come to India in 1998 along with his brother looking for work .

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the family of Jeet Bahadur, third from right, in Kathmandu on Sunday. Photo: PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first engagement in Kathmandu was to meet the family of a boy he had looked after in Gujarat.

Jeet Bahadur was reportedly just eight when he reached Ahmedabad, lost and unsure how he reached there as he had taken a wrong train. A woman who found him took him to Mr. Modi, then a BJP leader in the State, who decided to look after him.

In tweets in Hindi, Mr. Modi said he had brought up Mr. Bahadur, educated him, and was eventually able to track down his family with the help of some friends. What made the impossible task possible was that Mr. Bahadur had six toes on one foot, a distinguishing mark, Mr. Modi wrote.

Family reunion! Thanks to >@narendramodi a happy reunion for Jeet Bahadur and family. >pic.twitter.com/oNqxWzkJk3

— Syed Akbaruddin (@MEAIndia) >August 3, 2014

Mr. Bahadur, 24, is now pursuing BBA in Ahmedabad. When Mr. Modi moved to Delhi as Prime Minister, he moved into a university hostel.

Photo: PTI

Officials in Kathmandu, who confirmed that Mr. Bahadur was reunited with his family a few years ago, said a team had been sent to inform his family that Mr. Modi wanted to meet them. Mr. Modi tweeted that his trip to Nepal was very special, “as some personal emotions are attached to it.”

(With additional inputs from PTI)