Man appears before his funeral rites

Shillong, Dec 31 (UNI) In a case of mistaken identity in Meghalaya, a missing person was considered 'dead' for the second time by his members.

Frankie Synnah (49) of Umkdait village, about five km from here, who went on missing for three days was surprised to find that his family members were preparing his last rites after his brother and nephew had mistaken an unidentified body lying at the city hospital as their 'missing' kin.

Synnah, who returned home from Guwahati yesterday, had brought tears of joy to his wife and seven children and anger to many for his disappearance.

''We have decided to bury him today, but we are happy, seeing him alive,'' Mr Synnah's aunty Rosaline said.

''I was shocked to see everyone crying and I realised that they were preparing for my funeral rites,'' Mr Synnah told UNI here.

However, Mr Synnah blamed the telecommunication service for not being able to inform his family members about his whereabouts.

''I tried calling my family but in vain,'' he said.

Ten years ago, Mr Synnah's mother believed that her son 'died' after she was informed that her son was among the two persons who were electrocuted at Nongstoin in state's West Khasi Hills district.

However, he returned home to the delight of his mother.

Meanwhile, the unidentified dead body is still lying in the morgue.

UNI