New Delhi, April 1 -- An American man has been awarded $975,000 after spending more than two years confined in a psychiatric hospital due to a case of mistaken identity, raising fresh concerns about systemic lapses in law enforcement and mental health institutions.

Joshua Spriestersbach, 54, was wrongfully detained in Hawaii after police confused him with another man, Thomas Castleberry, who was wanted on drug-related charges. The error, which began years earlier, went uncorrected despite repeated claims of innocence.

The ordeal traces back to 2017, when Spriestersbach-then homeless-gave officers the surname "Castleberry", which belonged to his grandfather. Authorities linked the name to an outstanding warrant and arrested him. Even as ...