“Dead” man turns up alive at his own funeral in Telangana

Hyderabad, June 25 

In a case of mistaken identity of a dead person, a man turned up alive at his “funeral” in Vikarabad district of Telangana where his family and relatives were making arrangements for burial after being informed about his death.

The incident took place in Navandgi village in Basheerabad mandal of Vikarabad district, an official of Government Railway Police (GRP) said on Tuesday. 

The man, P Yellappa, (40), a daily wage labourer was presumed dead after his family members were informed about his death when a body was found with a mobile phone on it. 

The GRP personnel found the body of an unidentified person on the tracks at the Vikarabad railway station on the night of June 22, with the head crushed and beyond recognition, the official said. 

One mobile phone was found near the body and police officials called up the family members from the phone, who informed that it belonged to Yellappa.

Yellappa’s wife and his family members reached the government hospital in Vikarabad on June 23 and “identified” the body to be that of Yellappa, the official said. 

After an autopsy, the family members were handed over the body and they took it to their village. 

As the family and relatives were making arrangements for the burial, some villagers informed them in the afternoon that they had seen Yellappa alive in Tandur town of the district.

In the meanwhile, Yellappa also returned home to the surprise of the family members.

Yellappa’s family members immediately informed GRP about it, who reached the village and brought back the body and kept it in mortuary at government hospital in Vikarabad, the official said, adding the deceased man was not identified so far.

GRP also examined Yellappa and he told them that he had left home as part of work and someone stole his phone when he was sleeping at a bus stop in Tandur on June 20. 

His family members told the police that Yellappa used to return home after a week or so after being away on work, the official said.

With regard to the unidentified man, police said he was hit by a train while crossing the tracks at the railway station on June 22 and a case was registered by GRP. Further probe was on.