Viral
‘Dead Man’ Walks Into IAS Officer’s Office to Prove He’s Alive – Here’s What Happened
A Karnataka man declared dead in official records shocked authorities by walking into the Deputy Commissioner’s office to prove he was alive. The mistake, caused by a clerical error, locked his Aadhaar and cut off his access to government benefits. The IAS officer has assured prompt action to resolve the issue.

In a bizarre turn of events, a 62-year-old man from Karnataka’s Belagavi district, Ganapati Kakatkar, had to walk into the office of Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Roshan to prove he was still alive. The man, accompanied by his family and lawyer, sought help in rectifying a mistake that had left him officially “dead” in government records.
The issue arose due to a clerical error made by a data entry operator. Ganapati was erroneously declared dead when his Aadhaar number was linked to a deceased individual’s death certificate. This led to his Aadhaar card being locked, removal from the family ration card, loss of access to his bank accounts, and a complete halt in receiving government benefits.
Ganapati’s troubles stemmed from a decades-old issue with his family’s property. He and his brothers had been trying to obtain a succession certificate for their grandfather’s land, which had not been transferred since his passing in 1976. Amid delays and legal hurdles, the clerical mistake added a new layer of complexity. Ganapati discovered the error only in August 2023 after years of trying to understand why his records were inaccessible.
After several failed attempts to resolve the problem through local offices, Ganapati decided to take the matter to Deputy Commissioner Roshan. On Monday, he presented his case, including the “death certificate” mistakenly issued in his name. The Deputy Commissioner assured Ganapati that the matter would be resolved and directed the assistant commissioner to take immediate action.
Ganapati’s ordeal highlights the challenges citizens face due to bureaucratic errors and the lack of efficient grievance redressal mechanisms. For now, he awaits the rectification of his records to reclaim his identity and access the benefits he is entitled to.