Man Declared Dead and Cremated Found Alive in Sambhal
Police in Meerut face a baffling situation. They cremated a body they thought belonged to Sushil Kumar, a 44-year-old man. Nearly three weeks later, Kumar was spotted walking through a busy crossing in Sambhal. He was alive but appeared confused.
Murder Investigation Reopened After Shocking Discovery
This discovery forced authorities to restart a murder investigation they considered closed. Now they must identify the real victim. That person's body was burned based on an erroneous identification.
Police relied on a tattoo and general appearance to make the initial call. Kumar had a history of petty thefts in the Sambhal region and on trains. He had not contacted his family for years.
Family Identified Body Based on Tattoo and Features
Kumar's two brothers traveled from Delhi and Kashi in Uttarakhand. They identified a corpse found on December 24 by the roadside in Narayan Tola, Bahjoi. The body showed a crushed skull and injuries suggesting a deliberate assault.
A bag found nearby provided no useful clues. With no fingerprint or DNA match available, officers depended on visual identification. The brothers recognized the tattoo and confirmed the frame and features. Police then recorded the death as murder. A postmortem examination followed, and then the cremation.
Tip-Off from Former Associate Changes Everything
The case took a dramatic turn due to a tip-off. One of Kumar's former associates provided crucial information during questioning. He told investigators he had seen Kumar after December 24. This man later brought Kumar to the police station.
"The resemblance was so close even we wouldn't have doubted the brothers' claim," said Bahjoi SHO Sant Kumar. "He looked just like the man we'd found. The tattoo, the build — everything matched."
Police Face Difficulties with Investigation
Sambhal ASP Anukriti Sharma revealed the family initially hesitated to file an FIR. "They told us they had nothing to do with him anymore," she stated. "Eventually, we convinced them to register a murder case, and that's how the investigation began. But now we are in a difficult position. The body is gone. We cannot even conduct a DNA test."
Kumar has not made any statements since being found. Police confirmed they questioned him but do not consider him a suspect. His family continues to maintain their distance.
"For us, he stopped to exist a long time ago," said one relative. "We want nothing to do with him."
The police now grapple with identifying the actual victim and determining what truly happened. This case highlights the challenges of investigations without modern forensic tools.
