From funeral to freedom: the unexpected return of Sarawati Devi

Family members of Sarawati Devi mourned her loss for over a decade, having performed cremation rituals based on a body recovered from a canal near the Khandha hamlet. The identification was supported by a village watchman and the victim’s brother, who recognized the corpse as their sister. The subsequent trial resulted in eight prison sentences. In a dramatic reversal, the woman resurfaced in Jharkhand’s Garhwa district after being traced under a false name. Police recovered her in Labhri village and escorted her back to Rohtas, where she faced a new charge of tampering with the investigation. The case now hinges on re‑examining the post‑mortem report, the chain of evidence, and the motive behind the alleged deception.