Akash Sarkar, who had been declared dead by the police, was found fit and walking in his locality.
Agartala: In a rather strange turn of events, a man assumed dead returned home even as his father was about to perform his “shradh” (funeral) rites on Tuesday. The incident took place at Kalkalia under Mohanpur subdivision of West Tripura district, locals said.
The police reportedly handed over an unidentified body to the family and informed his family that he was no more.
Sources said Akash Sarkar, who had been declared dead by the police, was found fit and walking in his locality. Astonished to see him alive, locals flocked his house when he entered. Fair to say, Sarkar might have never expected such a welcome to a village he left months ago.
“I was admitted to the hospital. I have been staying in the streets of Agartala city for the last couple of months. During the day, I do odd jobs, and at night, I sleep beneath the flyover. Since I am not in touch with my family, I was not aware of these things,” Sarkar told media persons. He said his aunt encountered him roaming and informed him about his “fake death”.
“After getting discharged from the hospital, I was roaming on the roads when my aunt identified me. She scolded me first and later took me home,” said Sarkar.
Ankan Sarkar, the father of Akash, said, “After Akash left home, we lodged a missing complaint with the local police station. A few days ago, we were asked to visit the morgue of GBP hospital to identify a body. The body we had been asked to identify was decaying fast and not in the condition to be recognized. The police have, however, told me that as the body was decomposing and it was found from a water body, it is hard to get identified.”
After being convinced by the police, he said they agreed to receive the mortal remains and perform the last rites. “Now, on the third day of the cremation, we arranged the Shradh rites, and I was about to start chanting the mantras when we received the information that he is alive,” explained Sarkar.
Police sources said the body that was handed over to Sarkar’s family was recovered from a pond located in Agartala city.
