In a shocking twist, a man believed to be dead and mourned by his family walked into his own memorial service, leaving everyone in utter disbelief. According to a report by India Today, the incident took place in Gujarat’s Mehsana district when 43-year-old Brijesh Suthar, who had been presumed dead, made a surprise return.

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Disappearance and mistaken identification

Brijesh Suthar, also known as Pintu, had been struggling with mental health issues and financial pressures from his stock market. On October 27, he went missing from his home in Naroda, Ahmedabad, causing concern among his family. After days of searching without results, his worried family filed a missing person’s report with the Naroda police.

On November 10, police discovered an unidentified decomposed body near the Sabarmati bridge. The authorities called the Suthar family to identify the body, and based on its physique, Brijesh’s brother-in-law and other relatives mistakenly identified it as Brijesh.

Last rites and memorial service

The family, believing Brijesh to be dead, continued to perform his last rites and held a memorial service in Vijapur on 14 November. Friends and relatives gathered to pay their respects to the man they thought they had lost forever.

(Also read: Japanese funeral home introduces “lying in coffin” service to reflect on life and death)

Shocking reappearance

Just as the memorial service was underway, Brijesh unexpectedly walked into the ceremony, alive and well. His sudden appearance left his family and friends stunned, and even the police were stunned by the turn of events.

“When Brijesh did not return home, I searched everywhere and filed a police complaint,” said his disbelieving mother. “When the police showed us a body, we mistakenly identified it as him because of his bloated state.”

Police are investigating the mistaken identity

Police have since confirmed that the body found near the Sabarmati Bridge was that of an unclaimed body, which underwent a post-mortem examination before being handed over to the Suthar family. The Naroda police have now reopened the investigation to look into the case of the misidentified body.

The bizarre incident left many wondering how such a mistake could have happened, and the family is still coming to terms with the extraordinary chain of events.