![Facebook Video, High Court & Diplomacy: The Coordinated Rescue Of Odisha Mother From Dubai [Watch]](https://assets.odishabytes.com/wp-content/uploads/odishabytes-logo-25.svg){kind=logo}
Bhubaneswar/Dubai: After nearly five years of separation, three young girls will finally reunite with their mother, who returned to India following a coordinated rescue operation triggered by a desperate Facebook video, intervention by the Orissa High Court, and persistent efforts by Indian consular officials in Dubai.
Hasta Mahananda, a resident of Titlagarh in Odisha and mother of three daughters, had traveled to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for work as a house help around 2019. While she managed one visit home in 2022, communication with her family eventually ceased for several years, sparking deep concern about her well-being.
Her relatives grew increasingly anxious as years passed without contact. The turning point came when Mahananda recorded and posted a short video on Facebook, appealing for help to return to India. The video, which provided limited personal details, circulated among community groups including the Odia Samaj, a non-profit socio-cultural organisation, and eventually reached Indian consular officials in Dubai.
Court Intervention and Diplomatic Search
With no response from her, family members first approached local authorities in Odisha before petitioning the High Court. The court directed inquiries into her welfare and urged the matter to be pursued through diplomatic channels. This request was forwarded to the Consulate General of India in Dubai, which initiated a search despite challenges such as discrepancies in identity records and an outdated mobile number.
Consular officials meticulously pieced together information from passport and visa records, sponsor details, and employment history over 4 months. They received crucial assistance from the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and local contacts. The breakthrough occurred on May 12, 2026, when a company manager escorted Mahananda to the Indian Consulate.
During discussions, she confirmed she was safe and had not faced harassment but had been repeatedly denied permission to leave by her employer despite her wishes to return home. The regional situation, including conflicts in West Asia, had also strained her finances, leaving her effectively stranded.
Consulate Facilitates Return
Indian officials promptly directed her employer to clear pending salary dues, end-of-service benefits, and complete exit formalities, including visa cancellation. Facing financial hurdles, she had no savings or bank account, the mission utilised the Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) to provide temporary accommodation, cover expenses, arrange travel documents, and book her flight back to India.
Mahananda has since returned to India and is set to reunite with her three daughters, who continued their studies in her absence, one in Class 10, one in Class 7, and the youngest in Class 5. In a recorded message, she expressed relief and gratitude: “I am happy now… Consulate has given me the ticket, and I am going to India.”
