Bihar man returns home 17 years after his ‘murder’

PTI, Jan 9, 2025, 10:15 AM IST

Rohtas: A man, who was allegedly murdered by his relatives 17 years ago, returned home in Bihar’s Rohtas district on Wednesday, triggering a storm in his village.

Police said four of his relatives were arrested in the murder case registered at the Akodhigola police station in 2008, and they were in jail for two years before being released on bail.

“A missing person’s complaint was filed on September 12, 2008, after Nathuni Pal of Dewaria village could not be found by his family. It was later converted into a murder case after the family alleged that four relatives took away his land and then killed him. Pal’s body could not be recovered at that time,” said SHO Chandrashekhar Sharma.

The four relatives — Rati Pal, Vimlesh Pal, Bhagwan Pal and Satyendra Pal — were arrested and they were in judicial custody for two years before being released on bail, he said.

The trial in the case is still underway, he added.

Nathuni, who actually left home in 2008 and lived the life of a vagabond all these years, was held in UP’s Jhansi after locals informed the police about a “suspicious person” in their village. During the investigation, the Jhansi Police found him in Bihar Police’s records, officials said.

After due verification, he was brought back to his native village, they said.

Bhagwan Pal, one of the accused in the murder case, said, “Who will return us the precious years of our life which we spent in jail and visiting the court?”