Man Mistakenly Buried by Family Found Alive at Relative's House a Week Later in Chhattisgarh

Purshottam's mother, Mankunwar, expresses overwhelming joy at discovering her son is alive.

Surajpur:

Within a span of just one week, 25-year-old Purushottam became the center of a remarkable emotional roller coaster in his Chhattisgarh village.

His family had plunged into deep mourning after burying a body they believed to be his, only to experience astonishment when relatives reported seeing him elsewhere. Upon locating and bringing him home, the entire village transitioned from confusion to celebration.

The extraordinary sequence of events began when police distributed information regarding a body discovered in a well in Manpur area of Surajpur district on November 1.

Purushottam's family, residents of nearby Chanderpur village, contacted authorities as he had been missing for two days. When shown the recovered body, they mistakenly "identified" the deceased as Purushottam, according to Additional Superintendent of Police Santosh Mahto.

Police registered the case as an accidental death and released the body to the family, who proceeded with burial ceremonies at the local cremation ground after performing traditional last rites, the official explained.

Subsequently, when relatives arrived after hearing about Purushottam's supposed "death," they informed the grieving family that he had actually been spotted in Ambikapur, approximately 45 km away. A search effort was organized, and he was eventually located at a relative's residence and returned home on November 4, the official confirmed.

"I had traveled to Ambikapur in the Surguja district. Later, I learned from a relative that my family had conducted funeral rites for someone else, mistaking that person for me," Purushottam explained.

Police have yet to identify the actual deceased person whose body was buried by Purshottam's family. DNA samples, fingerprints, clothing, and other possessions of the deceased have been preserved, while comprehensive photography and videography of the body were completed, Mahto stated.

The post-mortem examination suggests drowning as the cause of death, he added.

Purshottam's mother, Mankunwar, is overjoyed that her son is alive.

"They showed me a photo of the body, and villagers claimed it was my son. I am tremendously happy that my son is alive. There's nothing more I can add," she expressed.