Vijayanagara, 3 Oct 

In a chilling case from Karnataka's Vijayanagara district, six people have been arrested for allegedly murdering a 35-yearold man after taking out an accident and other insurance policies worth Rs 5.25 crore in his name and attempting to claim the payout.

The police stated in a press release that the victim, K Gangadhar, a resident of Kaulpet in Hosapete taluk, was found dead near the HLC canal on 28 September. He was initially suspected to have died in a two-wheeler accident.

However, his wife, K Sharadamma, raised doubts, pointing out that her husband suffered from serious health problems, including a stroke, and did not even know how to ride a motorcycle.

According to Superintendent of Police S Jahnavi, the group opened a fake bank account and registered another marriage in Gangadhar’s name, showing a woman conspirator as his wife. Using these forged documents, they purchased the policies, paying the premiums themselves.

When Gangadhar did not die within the expected timeframe, the accused feared rejection of the policies. They then decided to kill him and stage the death as a road accident to ensure accident insurance could be claimed. Their attempt to file claims later exposed the fraud.

“No amount has been settled. The accused only tried to claim the money, but their conspiracy was unearthed before payout,” SP Jahnavi confirmed. Police said further investigation will establish how the victim came in contact with the accused, and how individuals from such varied backgrounds conspired to plot his murder. 

The arrested accused include Ravi Gosangi, 26, P Ajay, 22, Riaz, 27, RY Yogaraj Singh, 36, Krishnappa, 51, and Huligemma, 31.