Mumbai: In 1994, when he was just four years old, 34-year-old Aditya Charegaonkar was separated from his family. Now, three decades later, he has launched a determined search to find his parents.

Seeking assistance from the Mumbai Police, he reached out to Sharmila Sahastrabuddhe from the Missing Bureau Department with the help of a female police officer. He has also started a unique campaign on social media to trace his parents.

Speaking to FPJ, Aditya shared that at the beginning of 1994, his family used to call him 'Sunny.' His most vivid memory is of his grandmother, but he does not recall much else. He remembers being sent to the Mankhurd-based Children's Aid Society by the police, where he stayed for two months before being shifted to the SOS Children's Village in Pune. He lived there from ages 4 to 13 before moving to Panhala in Kolhapur for further education.

He later continued his studies at the Sanskriti Samvardhan Mandal in Biloli, then pursued his Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Yashwantrao Chavan School of Social Work in Satara. He completed his Master’s in Social Work from Pune University's Karve Institute of Social Service.

Aditya further said that he worked for two years in Rajasthan under the Gandhi Fellowship, supporting government schools and orphaned children. His mission is to work for missing children because, as he puts it, "No child should be an orphan."

For over 13 years, he has been involved in child protection work. However, he expressed disappointment with government agencies and investigation teams, stating that they fall short in reuniting lost children with their parents.

Recently, he obtained a childhood photograph from an NGO, hoping that someone from his family will recognize him and reach out. Currently, Aditya is working as a grant manager at the Azim Premji Foundation in Bangalore