Family Mistakenly Identifies Body Of Missing Man, Only For Him To Return Alive
In an unexpected twist, last night, Vaishnav walked through the door when his family was preparing for the last rites.
Published : September 10, 2025 at 5:25 PM IST
Korba: A strange incident unfolded in the Chhattisgarh town after a man, who had been reported to have drowned in a local river, returned home alive during his ‘last rites’ hours later.
Hariom Vaishnav (27), a native of Vishrampur Gewara area, went missing four days ago while visiting his in-laws in the nearby Darri area. After Vaishnav’s disappearance, his family launched a massive search, but were unable to trace him. The family then filed a missing report with the Darri police.
"On Monday, the body of a youth was found in the Ahiran River, and based on the missing persons report, Vaishnav’s family was called for identification. After several hours of examination, they recognised the body from some signs like height and a tattoo of the letter ‘R’ on the deceased's hand, and it was presumed to be Vaishnav,” police said.
According to them, the body was swollen and ‘unrecognisable’ as it was submerged in water. After completing the legal formalities, the police sent the body for a post-mortem, and it was later handed over to the family for cremation. However, an unexpected twist happened in the story when Vaishnav walked through the door at midnight, when his family was preparing for the last rites.
“Silence spread all around when Vaishnav himself walked through the door. We couldn't believe our eyes,” said a family member. “We were preparing for his cremation when he returned alive.”
At first, the family was in shock and disbelief. They contacted Kusmunda police, who transferred the body, which had been identified as Vaishnav’s, to the mortuary at the local hospital.
Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Vimal Pathak admitted it as a unique case and assured its proper handling. “Earlier, a missing persons case had been filed at the Darri police station. Now, a case of an unidentified body has been registered after the return of Vaishnav. We are making efforts to determine the identity of the deceased found in the river,” he said.
Read More
