AFP 
       
NEW DELHI, Mar 8: A man's family almost cremated a dead body that resembled him but stopped when they got a telephone call from him.   

Deepak Bhattacharya, who had left his house on Tuesday to pay a phone bill, was shocked to hear from his family that they were preparing to cremate a dead body they thought was his.   

The mix-up in Raipur occurred after police called the family about an hour after Bhattacharya had left his home and asked them to identify a corpse.   

"Bhattacharya's brother-in-law identified the body and took it home for the last rites," Superintendent of Police Sashi Mohan said.   

As the rituals were being performed for his cremation, Bhattacharya, who is in his 50s, happened to call home, stunning everyone there.   

Bhattacharya said he told his daughter, "I am alive. How can you cremate me?"   

The confusion was caused by the fact that the dead man and Bhattacharya looked very similar, police said.