In a sudden turn of events, a family in Chhattisgarh’s Balodabazar district experienced an extraordinary turn of events when their son returned home all safe and alive after they had performed his last rites. As per reports by ETV Bharat, the family had identified a decomposed body recovered near Semra Nala as that of 28-year-old Motilal Vishwakarma. His last rites were also performed and they had completed the customary post-death rituals.But bizarrely on August 14, 2026, Motilal came home, alive! He was found in neighbouring Dhamtari district and what should have been an occasion of mourning turned into a moment of happy disbelief.But this also raised another huge and troubling question for the police which is if Motilal was alive, who was the person whose body his family had cremated?A missing son comes home aliveMotilal is a resident of Sukli Bareli village in Balodabazar district. He went missing, leaving his family worried for a long time. His relatives were also looking for him when news of an unidentified body reached them.The incident
Motilal in the white shirt (PC: ETV Bharat)
On July 28, 2026, police recovered a decomposed body near Semra Nala. The condition of the body made identification difficult. When Motilal’s family came to know about the recovery, they reached the spot and identified the deceased as their missing relative.Believing that they had found their son, the family took the body and performed his last rites. As per reports, the family also completed the customary rituals associated with death, including the mundan ceremony and other post-funeral services.It was a closure for the family as their search had come to an end. But not in a happy way. They had lost their son and were left with the difficult task of accepting his death.A discovery that changed everythingBut on August 14, 2026, the story took an unexpected turn, when a man was found sitting near a petrol pump at Sambalpur Mor in Dhamtari. By the looks of it, the man needed immediate assistance. And then came members of Vardan Parmarth Seva Samiti to help. Pappu Sahu, associated with the organisation, reportedly stepped in to help and contacted Shiva Pradhan of the Indian Red Cross Society.According to reports from Amar Ujala, Pradhan said the man appeared to be in a distressed mental state. He was taken to a nearby hospital. During the process of establishing his identity, documents found with him provided an important clue. They indicated that he belonged to Balodabazar district. The volunteers and authorities subsequently contacted the local police to trace his family.The details eventually led them to Motilal’s relatives. The family was informed that the man had been found and that he was alive.The family was surprised. Because for them, it was difficult to process. They had already mourned him, performed his last rites and had already moved on in life. Now, the very person they mourned was returning to them.From mourning to an emotional reunion
Dead body
For people seeing their loved one alive was an overwhelming moment. The family, which had bid their farewell to its son, now had an opportunity to welcome him home. The incident also highlighted the role played by local volunteers and members of the Red Cross Society. Their intervention in helping a distressed man, arranging medical assistance and tracing his family eventually led to the reunion.Mystery surrounding whose last rites did the family performWhile the family celebrated the return of their son, they were also left with the question of whose body was recovered near Semra Nala?Was the identification mistaken because the body was badly decomposed? Were the family members relying on physical resemblance or other identifying features? These are questions that cannot be answered.For now, the two sides of the story remain different with an unsolved mystery. One family has received back a son, while another person’s family may still be waiting to learn what happened to their missing loved one.