Shock and glee grip Chhattisgarh village as family brings back ‘dead’ man after burying wrong body

In a matter of one week, 25-year-old Purushottam became the subject of grief, shock and delight in his Chhattisgarh village.

His family had gone into mourning after burying a body, believing it to be his, only to learn from relatives that he had been seen elsewhere. They traced him and brought him home, leaving the village first bewildered and then thrilled.

The drama unfolded after police circulated information about the recovery of a body from a well in the Manpur area of Surajpur district on November 1.

The family of Purushottam, a resident of neighbouring Chanderpur village, approached the police as he had been missing for two days. Upon seeing the body, they “identified” the dead man as Purushottam, said ASP Santosh Mahto.

Police registered an accidental death case and handed over the body to the family, who buried it in the local cremation ground after performing the last rites, the official said.

Later, relatives who arrived upon hearing the news of Purushottam’s “death” informed the grieving family that he had been spotted in Ambikapur, about 45 km away. A search was launched, and he was eventually found at a relative’s house and brought back home on November 4, the official said.

“I had gone to Ambikapur in Surguja district. Later, I learnt from a relative that my family had performed the last rites of a dead person, mistaking him for me,” Purushottam said.

Police are yet to identify the person whose body was buried by Purshottam’s family. DNA samples, fingerprints, clothes, and other belongings of the deceased have been preserved, while the body’s photography and videography have been done, Mahto said.

The postmortem report suggests that the man drowned, he added.

Purshottam’s mother Mankunwar is ecstatic that her son is alive.

“I was shown a photo of the body, and people in the village said it was my son. I am happy that my son is alive. I have nothing more to add,” she said.