UP: Road death victim found killed for ₹50 lakh insurance in Sambhal; 4 nabbed
A sibling pair, a convicted criminal, and an insurance agent, behind the conspiracy, are now behind bars.
What initially appeared to be a simple road accident turned out to be a cold-blooded murder, as police here uncovered a plot to kill a Dalit man with disability for a ₹51 lakh life insurance claim.
A sibling pair, a convicted criminal, and an insurance agent, behind the conspiracy, are now behind bars, police said.
Addressing a press conference on Friday, Sambhal Superintendent of Police (SP) Krishna Kumar Bishnoi revealed, "This was not a road accident. The victim, Dariyab Jatav, a differently-abled man, was deliberately murdered to claim his life insurance. The killers first hit him on the head with a hammer and then ran him over with a vehicle to stage an accident."
On August 1, 2024, an FIR was registered at Chandausi Police Station, stating that Dariyab was killed in a hit-and-run near Sainik Chauraha. His brother Rajendra, a native of Dhilwari village in Budaun district, filed the complaint. With no leads, police closed the case as an accident and filed a final report in December.
Nine months later, a claim for ₹50.68 lakh in insurance money was made.
The insurance firm flagged it to the police, prompting a reinvestigation by Additional Superintendent of Police Anukriti Sharma and her team, which found several inconsistencies.
"The deceased was physically challenged and couldn't walk 27 km from his home, yet the claim stated he died in an accident far from his residence, around 10 pm. This raised serious doubts," Sharma said.
Eventually, a full confession was extracted from the suspects during interrogation.
As it happened, the murder was orchestrated by brothers Hariom and Vinod, who were in urgent need of money. They were advised by Pankaj Raghav, an Axis Bank insurance agent with Max Life, to insure a terminally ill or physically challenged person.
Over a year, they took out multiple life insurance policies in Dariyab's name.
When the policies matured, the conspirators paid ₹50,000 to one Pratap, an ex-convict, to help them carry out the murder.
"On the night of the incident, Vinod struck the victim with a hammer. Pratap then ran him over with a car to stage an accident," the SP said.
Even before the scam could be fully executed, the accused had already managed to receive ₹15.68 lakh in insurance payouts. The remaining amount was put on hold when the fraud was sensed.
Hariom, Vinod, Pratap, and insurance agent Pankaj Raghav have been arrested and sent to jail.
Vishnoi announced a ₹25,000 reward for the team that cracked the case.
"This case is a stark reminder of how greed can lead to heinous crimes. We will ensure strict punishment under the law," the officer said.
