'Body is gone': Cremated after mistaken ID, man found alive after 3 weeks

MEERUT: Nearly 3 weeks aft constabulary cremated an unidentified body, believing it to beryllium that of Sushil Kumar, they recovered the 44-year-old walking done a engaged crossing successful Sambhal, live - and confused.

The find forced constabulary to restart a execution probe they thought had already concluded, and near them with the task of identifying the existent victim, whose assemblage had been burned aft an erroneous ID based connected a tattoo and wide appearance.Kumar, who had a grounds of petty thefts successful the Sambhal portion and connected trains, had not been successful interaction with his household for years. His 2 brothers, summoned from Delhi and Kashi (Uttarakhand), identified the corpse recovered connected Dec 24 by the roadside successful Narayan Tola, Bahjoi, arsenic his.

The body's skull had been crushed, and injuries suggested deliberate assault. A container recovered adjacent offered nary clues, and with nary different means to verify individuality - nary fingerprint oregon DNA lucifer - officers relied connected ocular identification.

The brothers recognised the tattoo, confirmed the framework and features, and constabulary recorded the decease arsenic murder. A postmortem followed, past the cremation.What changed the absorption of the lawsuit was a tip-off from 1 of Kumar's erstwhile associates during questioning.

He told investigators helium had seen Kumar aft Dec 24. The antheral aboriginal brought him to the police. "The resemblance was truthful adjacent close we wouldn't person doubted the brothers' claim," Bahjoi SHO Sant Kumar said. "He looked conscionable similar the antheral we'd found. The tattoo, the physique - everything matched."Sambhal further SP Anukriti Sharma told TOI that the household had initially been reluctant to lodge an FIR. "They told america they had thing to bash with him anymore," she said.

"Eventually, we convinced them to registry a execution case, and that's however the probe began. But present we are successful a hard position. The assemblage is gone. We cannot adjacent behaviour a DNA test."Kumar has not made immoderate statements since helium was found. Police confirmed helium was questioned but is not a suspect. His household has continued to support distance. "For us, helium stopped to beryllium a agelong clip ago," said 1 relative. "We privation thing to bash with him."