Madho Singh Mehra, a man from Uttarakhand's Almora district was assumed to be dead for 24 years. His last rites were also conducted. In a bizarre turn of events, Mehra has now returned home.
The 72-year-old's last rites were performed by his family after he disappeared mysteriously 24 years ago. Now that he has returned, his family is not letting him into the house until his 'naamkaran' or naming ceremony hasn't been performed.
Ram Singh Mehra, Madho's nephew, said, "I was a child when our uncle (Tau) Madho Singh Mehra went missing and our family looked for him and waited for 10-year in the hope of his return. When he didn’t return, our family took the refuge of our ancestral deity and asked our priest, who also acts as an oracle, about it. He declared him dead," in a statement to Hindustan Times.
Madho was spotted by a few villagers in an emaciated condition in the middle of a field. He had weakness, and could not recollect how he got there.
Madho was a resident of Janoli village near the Ranikhet-Khairna state highway, and had gone missing when he was 48. His wife Jeewanti spent her life as a widow when the family declared him dead.
Madho's son is currently working in a private company in Delhi. Ram Singh further explained that Madho would live in a tent outside the house till his naamkaran is done, as per the instructions of their family priest.
(With inputs from Hindustan Times).
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