In 2022, his family got a death certificate made through the court. (Representational)
In a strange incident a man who had gone missing some 33 years ago returned to his home in Rajasthan's Alwar much to the astonishment of his family who had stopped believing that he could be alive and had even got a death certificate made for him.
75-year-old Hanuman Saini who used to work in Delhi's Khari Baoli from where he suddenly went missing in 1989. He was given a hero's welcome back home Bansoor village of Alwar district on May 30 after a gap of over three decades. People crowded his home as he reunited with his family.
All of Saini's five children-three daughters and two sons-are now married.
The septuagenarian claimed that he had spent the last 33 years at the 'Kangra Mata' temple in Himachal Pradesh doing meditation in devotion to the goddess.
Last year his family lost all hope of finding him and believing him to be dead had conducted last rites for him and obtained a death certificate issued in his name.
Mr Saini claims that he got a call from 'Kangra Mata' and after a long meditation of 33 years, Saini claimed that the goddess asked him to return to his family.
"When I boarded the train the TT asked for a ticket but I had only Rs 20 with me and he was kind enough to give me a ticket till Pathankot from where I reached Kangra Mata temple in Himachal and spent 33 years in the service and worship of Mataji (goddess)," Saini told ANI.
Mr Saini added, "In between, I went to Gangasagar and Kali Maiya temple in Kolkata. Finally, after completing my meditation and worship, the goddess directed me to return home and I came back to my family".
On May 29, Saini reached Khairthal in Rajasthan by train and spent the rest of the journey on foot arriving at the Tatarpur crossing at night.
On the morning of May 30 while he was seeking help from some locals in finding his way back home, one person recognised him and took him back to his house in Alwar.
Hanuman Saini's elder son Ramchandra Saini said that after their father remained missing for 33 years, the family had lost all hopes of him being found alive. They were also facing problems in land-related issues. So, in 2022, they got the death certificate made through the court.
"We had given up the hope of father being alive but we are delighted that he came back. We were very young back then and had not even seen him properly. Today we are extremely happy as our father has returned to the family," Ramchandra Saini said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)