Odisha: Man Returns Home a Month After Family Cremates Body Mistakenly Identified As His
A family in Odisha's Dhenkanal cremated a severely decomposed body believing it was their 29-year-old son, Sanatan Naik, who had gone missing on July 27. Nearly a month later, police informed them that Naik was alive. The family brought him home, but a mystery remains over the identity of the man whose body they cremated after identifying it by his clothes.
A family in Odishaās Dhenkanal had already cremated the body of a man they believed was their 29-year-old son, performed his last rites and begun observing the rituals of mourning. Then, nearly a month after his disappearance, the man they thought was dead suddenly returned home alive.
Sanatan Naik's family had identified a severely decomposed body recovered from a paddy field as his, based on the clothes found on it, India Today reported. They cremated the body and completed the customary purification ritual, or Suddhikriya, believing they had laid their son to rest. Their grief turned into disbelief when police informed them that Naik was alive.Ā Odisha Horror: Tribal Man Brings Sisterās Skeleton To Bank in Keonjhar To Withdraw INR 20,000, Disturbing Video Surfaces.
Man Went Missing On July 27
Naik, who had a mental health condition, had gone missing after leaving his home on a bicycle on July 27. Despite repeated searches, his family could not find him. Around 10 days later, police recovered an unidentified body from a paddy field near their home.
The body was severely decomposed and had reportedly remained in water for some time. Police informed Naikās family about the recovery. By the time they reached the spot, however, the body had already been sent for post-mortem examination.Ā Odisha Shocker: Newlywed Bride Allegedly Stages Own Kidnapping With Lover Hours After Marriage.
Family Identified Body By Clothes
The family later identified the body as Naikās based on the clothes found on it. After the body was handed over to them, they performed the funeral and customary rituals. The family also began observing the traditional mourning period.
Then came the twist that left the family stunned. Naik was alive. After receiving the information from the police, his relatives immediately travelled to the spot where he was found, brought him home and reunited him with the family. His return brought relief to his relatives, especially for his wife, who had already begun observing widowhood rituals.Ā Odisha Shocker: Newlywed Bride Allegedly Stages Own Kidnapping With Lover Hours After Marriage.
Mother Recalls Search For Missing Son
Speaking about the incident, the man's mother, Manju Naik, said her son left home on July 27. The family initially believed he might have gone to a relative's house and would return soon. When he did not come back after several days, they began searching for him.
Manju said the family later learnt that the decomposed body of a young man had been found floating in the farmland. "We wondered how he could have ended up there, as he never used to go to that place. Based on the clothes, we identified the body as our sonās and performed his funeral rites. Nearly a month later, we were informed by the police that our son was alive,ā she said.
The episode has now left the family and authorities facing one unanswered question -- whose body did they actually cremate? No official comment has so far been received from the local police on the identity of the deceased person whose body was recovered from the paddy field and later cremated by Naikās family. The identity of the deceased remains unresolved, leaving the circumstances surrounding the bodyās recovery and mistaken identification under question.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 02, 2026 02:19 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
