A 79-year-old man, Sharif Ahmad, presumed dead by his family for nearly three decades, returned to his hometown in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, on December 29. He had been missing since 1997 after moving to West Bengal following his second marriage. Ahmad's return was prompted by the need to collect documents for West Bengal's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. His family, who had tried unsuccessfully to trace him for years, expressed joy at the emotional reunion, despite learning of the deaths of close relatives. Ahmad has since returned to West Bengal.