Dhenkanal, August 31: In a shocking case of mistaken identity, a 29-year-old man returned home nearly a month after his family had cremated an unidentified body believing it was his. The bizarre incident has been reported from Barshinga village under Balimi police station in Hindol subdivision of Odisha’s Dhenkanal district.

According to reports, Sanatan Naik, 29, went missing on July 17. Sanatan, who was married, reportedly had a mild mental disability. Despite extensive searches, his family was unable to trace him.

Ten days later, on July 27, police recovered the decomposed body of a young man from a paddy field near Kunua village under Rasol police station. When Sanatan’s family reached the spot after being informed, the police had already recovered the body and sent it for post-mortem.

The family reportedly told the police about Sanatan’s disappearance. However, based on the information available at the time, the police assumed that the unidentified body was Sanatan’s and handed it over to the family after the post-mortem.

As the body was badly decomposed, the family could not identify it properly. Believing that Sanatan had died, they performed his last rites and completed the customary purification rituals. His family members were devastated by what they believed was his untimely death and tried to come to terms with his loss.

The situation took a dramatic turn exactly a month later, on August 27, when police from the Joranda outpost under Gandia police station contacted the family and informed them that Sanatan was alive.

Stunned by the news, family members rushed to Joranda, brought Sanatan home and were overwhelmed with relief. As word spread, villagers and relatives gathered in large numbers to see him.

In an emotional reunion, Sanatan’s wife, who had been observing widowhood after believing her husband was dead, once again wore her conch bangles and applied sindoor. The family and villagers celebrated his unexpected return.

However, the incident has raised serious questions about police procedures and the identification of unidentified bodies. Sanatan’s family has expressed anger over the alleged negligence, questioning whose body was actually handed over to them and cremated.

The family alleged that police failed to conduct proper verification before identifying the unidentified body as Sanatan’s. They have demanded accountability for the distress caused by the incident.

Balimi police station in-charge Charulata Sahu said that the station had no information regarding Sanatan’s disappearance. Attempts to contact the officer-in-charge of Rasol police station for a response were unsuccessful.