Kapurthala, Sept. 6 -- In a bizarre case of mistaken identity, a family that believed their 35-year-old son was dead-and had already performed his last rites last month-discovered he is alive and behind bars in Kapurthala.

The revelation came on September 2 when jail authorities called up the family, informing them that Ravi Kumar had been lodged in Kapurthala jail since August 5. The news caught local police off guard, triggering a fresh investigation into whose body was actually cremated.

Ravi, who struggles with drug addiction, went missing on August 5 during a neighborhood religious function. His family filed a formal missing person report at the Kapurthala City police station shortly after.

"On August 12, the Kapurthala police inf...