A man believed to have been dead for 17 years has been found alive in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh. This discovery has shaken the lives of four men—his paternal uncle and three brothers—who served jail time for his alleged murder.

On 6 January, while patrolling the area, Jhansi Police met a man who had been staying in the local village for the past six months. The man claimed to be Nathuni Pal, a 50 year old from Deoria in Bihar, and astonishingly, records with Bihar Police had long marked him as deceased.

"My parents passed away when I was a child, and my wife left me years ago. It's been around 16 years since I last visited my home in Bihar," Mr. Pal explained during the investigation.

The case is dated back to 2009 or even prior to the incident when Nathuni Pal went missing from his Bihar home. After his disappearance, Mr. Pal's maternal uncle accused his paternal uncle and four brothers of seizing Mr. Pal's land and murdering him. 

This accusation led to the arrest and imprisonment of the four men. Satendra Pal, one of the accused brothers, recalled, "My youngest sibling, who is in the police, was also named, but after appealing to the Deputy Inspector General, his name was removed from the FIR. My father, two brothers, and I each served eight months in jail. We are currently out on bail."

The emotional impact of the revelation was profound. Satendra Pal moved to tears, said, "We are finally free of the taint of murder." Despite this significant development, the case remains pending in court.

Nathuni Pal has been handed over to Bihar Police for further proceedings after his identity was confirmed. The revelation of his survival has not only shocked his family but also posed critical questions about the judicial process that led to the conviction of his relatives.