Mentally ill homeless man ‘returns from dead’

Sanjay Kumar was admitted to Snehalaya Psycho Social Rehabilitation Centre in Kasargod, Kerala, some time ago (right) Sanjay during his stay at the rehabilitation centre

Patna resident Sanjay Kumar, 44, was mentally ill and destitute when he was placed in the care of Mumbai-based Ramon Magsaysay Award winner Dr Bharat Vatwani two-and-a-half months ago by an NGO based in Kasaragod, Kerala. On October 31, after receiving treatment, Sanjay was reunited with his family in Patna - after almost four years - by social workers of the Shraddha Rehabilitation Centre, which is located at Vengaon village, Karjat and run by Dr Vatwani.

Sanjay went missing in 2018. Surprisingly, his family had not only presumed that he had died in a road accident, but in 2020 they also cremated a body and even obtained a death certificate in his name from the local civic body. While the family is excited that a healthy Sanjay returned to them on the auspicious occasion of Chhath Puja, the question that haunts them is whose body did they cremate two years ago.

Also read: Pune: Delivery man who went missing found dead

A portrait of him that his family made after he was presumed dead

Dr Vatwani, the psychiatrist under whose care Sanjay recovered, said, "Today is Chhath Puja, a very auspicious day for North Indians. The gods, weaving their magic on auspicious occasions, came up with a fairy-tale reunion by team Shraddha of a recovered mentally ill roadside destitute in Bihar with his family, who believed he was dead. He was a known case of schizophrenia."

A bright student

Sanjay's 62-year-old father, Nand Lal Sav, said, "Sanjay was a bright student and was in his final year BSc when he suddenly started behaving abnormally and was diagnosed with schizophrenia. We got him admitted to Ranchi mental hospital and was under treatment."

"His wife Kanchandevi, 35, and son Aditya Kumar, 9, and daughter Trisha, 7, were young when he left the house. The last time he had gone missing, he was loitering on the streets of Patna for three days. He eventually returned home on his own. We expected him to return soon and were hopeful, but the lockdown happened, and all our hopes proved futile."

Sanjay Kumar (in yellow T-shirt) with his family at his Patna residence

Two years later

After the COVID-induced lockdown, according to Nand Lal, "The local police on June 9, 2020, informed the family of a dead body that was found, which resembled Sanjay. As the face was beyond recognition, on the basis of the description, we identified the body and cremated the same. COVID restrictions were still in place for performing last rites." Asked if the family had informed the police about Sanjay being alive, Nand Lal said, "We haven't thought about approaching the police yet."

Emotional reunion

On October 31, the entire clan were at the riverside near their house to perform Chhath Puja. Around 7 am, Ajay Ransure, a social worker from Shraddha Rehabilitation Centre, appeared with Sanjay near the house, shocking family and neighbours alike.

"We have decided not to let him go anywhere henceforth. He was not speaking much but could identify and recognise his children and wife. He had his lunch and slept for a while. At night, we ensured that he was not allowed to go anywhere alone. He looked weak and we did not ask him about his whereabouts in the past four years," said the emotional father.

Dr Bharat Vatwani

He added, "We have been told by Ransure that medicines would be sent as and when required by Dr Vatwani. We are thankful to all the Good Samaritans and Dr Vatwani for having sent our missing son back to us."

Dead man walking

Ransure, 27, who travelled with Santosh from Kurla Terminus to Bihar, said, "Sanjay has improved a lot. As we got closer to his home, he was able to recall that a flour mill is in front of his house. When we actually reached his house, the flour mill was, indeed, there."

The youth (Ajay) who has a postgraduate degree in Arts, specialising in social work, has been escorting the destitute back to their families for four years. He hails from Osmanabad, and on an average goes on 30 to 35 such missions every year. "I could not control my tears when I saw his two small children touching his feet and the emotional outburst of his aged parents. I had never witnessed such a moment," he said.

How the address was cracked

According to Dr Vatwani, Dr Uday Singh, a resident medical officer at the Karjat centre, who also hails from Bihar, worked hard to get clues from Sanjay. Dr Singh said, "Sanjay was sent to us from Snehalaya, Kerala. He would seldom respond to oral commands and was unable to open his right fist. I gradually provided him with physiotherapy and he could open his fist to some extent, gaining confidence." "Even I hail from Bihar, so was well-versed with the locations. I would check for the clues on Google Maps and could confirm his antecedents. He was unable to recall any contact numbers," he added.

Spotted in Kerala, sent to Mumbai

Brother Joseph Crasta, founder of Snehalaya Psycho Social Rehabilitation Centre at Manjeshwar, Kasaragod, said, "Sanjay was loitering aimlessly when he was spotted by our social workers and was brought to the centre a few months ago. We have three hundred-plus destitute persons residing at our place and once the patient is settled, we start collecting their personal information, so we can help them trace their families. Since Sanjay was from Bihar, we contacted Dr Bharat and shifted him to Mumbai for better care and rehabilitation."

2020
Year the cremation of the person thought to be Sanjay occurred