Hyderabad: After a six-month search, Hyderabad Police in south Indian state of Telangana succeeded in uniting two Dubai-based sisters with their mother.

Ayesha and Fatima Rasheed had an emotional reunion with their 60-year-old mother, Naziya Begum, at the office of Hyderabad South Zone Deputy Commissioner of Police V. Satyanarayana.

The two girls, separated from their mother at a tender age, visited Hyderabad six months ago in search of her.

They sought help from the DCP, and the police launched a campaign to locate the mother. The daughters returned to Dubai but were in touch with the police.

“With the help of the people in her area in the old city, we could establish Naziya Begum’s identity but it took some time to find her,” said DCP Satyanarayana.

Ayesha, the elder of the two sisters, said their parents were married in 1981 in Hyderabad. After spending a few years in Dubai, during which she gave birth to them, their father divorced Naziya Begum and sent her back to India, while the girls stayed with the father.

Back in Hyderabad, Naziya was married again to a fruit-seller in Bidar town of Karnataka, 125km from Hyderabad. She has two sons and a daughter from this marriage.

After police traced her in Bidar, the two daughters were informed. They returned to Hyderabad and met their mother for the first time in 28 years.

As soon as they saw her, forlorn and aged, they broke down and embraced her, said Ayesha.

Naziya Begum said her memory of her daughters had faded and she only remembered that one of them had six fingers on one hand.

An emotional Ayesha said, “We were afraid we will never be able to see our mother in this lifetime. We are grateful to Allah that he brought us together. We are thankful to the police officials and all others who made it possible.”

A beaming Fatima said they will now take care of their mother and try to undo the injustice done to her all these years. “We would love to take her to Dubai,” she said.