Man appears before his funeral rites

Shillong, Dec 31: In a case of mistaken identity in Meghalaya, amissing person was considered 'dead' for the second time by hismembers.

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

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

''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 wereelectrocuted 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