Punjab Shocker: Family Cremates Body Believed to Be Missing Son, Finds Him Alive in Kapurthala Jail

September 6, 2026

Kapurthala, Punjab: In a bizarre case from Punjab’s Kapurthala, a family cremated a body they believed was that of their missing son, only to discover nearly three weeks later that the young man was alive and lodged in Central Jail, Kapurthala.

The youth, identified as Ravi Kumar, had gone missing from his home on August 5. His family searched for him and later filed a missing-person report with the Kapurthala City Police.

The family was subsequently informed that a burnt body of a young man had been found. After being shown photographs of the deceased, Ravi’s family and relatives identified the body as that of the missing youth and cremated it on August 13.

However, on September 2, the family received an unexpected phone call from an employee of Central Jail, Kapurthala. They were told that a man named Ravi Kumar was lodged in the prison.

The revelation left the family shocked and confused.

Ravi went missing on August 5

According to the preliminary information, Ravi Kumar left his home on August 5 and did not return.

His father and brother searched for him but were unable to find any information about his whereabouts. After their efforts failed, the family approached Kapurthala City Police Station on August 11 and registered a missing-person report.

The family was later informed by police about the discovery of a burnt body of a young man.

Police reportedly showed photographs of the deceased to the family. A few days later, Ravi’s family members and relatives identified the body as that of their missing son.

Believing that Ravi had died, the family performed his cremation on August 13.

Jail call changes everything

The case took a dramatic turn on September 2, when an employee from Central Jail, Kapurthala, contacted the family.

The family was informed that a man named Ravi Kumar was currently lodged in the jail.

The information came as a major shock because the family had already believed Ravi to be dead and had cremated the body they had identified as his.

According to the report, Ravi had actually been arrested by Jalandhar Police around a month earlier in a loitering-related case and was subsequently lodged in Central Jail, Kapurthala.

Family finds Ravi alive

Still unsure about what had happened, the family visited the prison the following day.

Their shock turned into relief and happiness when they found Ravi Kumar alive inside the jail.

The development raised questions about how the family came to identify the burnt body as Ravi and how the missing-person case and Ravi’s imprisonment were not connected earlier.

The available preliminary information does not establish how the mistaken identification occurred. Further details would be needed from the police investigation to determine how the body was identified and why the family was unaware that Ravi had been arrested and lodged in jail.

The incident has left the family with both relief at finding their son alive and questions over the circumstances that led them to believe he had died.