Police in Rajasthan’s Bhilwara district have exposed an alleged insurance fraud plot where a man’s body was burned post-death to stage an accidental electrocution for an insurance claim amounting to nearly Rs 83 lakh.
Four individuals have been apprehended after suspicions were raised by doctors at Mandal Hospital regarding the injuries on the deceased’s body.
The deceased, Deepak (36), from Naroda village in Ahmedabad, was taken to the hospital from the Mandal area on May 7. His mother, Champaben, informed the police that a group of men had assured treatment for her son at a private hospital and brought them to Rajasthan, where they stayed in Malola village.
Allegedly, while the men were out for dinner, Deepak passed away. Upon their return, they purportedly asked Champaben to wait outside the room and later proposed portraying the death as an accident.
Police stated that the accused burned Deepak’s toe and finger to simulate electrocution evidence before informing the hospital that he had sustained electric shock injuries while working in a field. Doctors grew suspicious as the burn injuries did not align with typical electrocution patterns, and marks resembling ECG electrode placements were found on Deepak’s chest.
Before the police arrived at the hospital, the men accompanying Deepak reportedly absconded, leaving behind his mother and 14-year-old son. Following information provided by the boy, police located and detained four suspects near the Gangrar toll plaza.
The boy alleged that doctors in Ahmedabad had previously informed the group about his father’s slim chances of survival due to his declining health. He claimed the accused instructed the family to conceal the true cause of death and present it as electrocution.
Authorities revealed that four insurance policies totaling around Rs 83 lakh had been issued in Deepak’s name. Bhilwara Superintendent of Police Dharmendra Singh Yadav indicated suspicions of a broader insurance fraud network involvement, potentially including agents and surveyors.
