UP Police Nab Delhi Men Who Tried to Stage Mannequin Cremation for Life Insurance
Delhi men arrested after mannequin cremation fraud attempt in UP.
Two Delhi-based textile traders were arrested in Uttar Pradesh after attempting to cremate a mannequin disguised as a human corpse to fraudulently claim Rs 50 lakh in life insurance money, police confirmed on Friday. The elaborate deception was uncovered at Brijghat cremation ground when alert municipal staff noticed suspicious behaviour by the group and discovered the truth beneath a white shroud.
The accused, Kamal Somani and Ashish Khurana, both residents of Uttam Nagar in Delhi, arrived in a Haryana-registered vehicle along with two associates, carrying what they claimed was the body of Anshul, an employee’s brother. They purchased ghee, wood, and other ritual materials before placing the covered “body” on the pyre. However, their nervous demeanour raised suspicion among locals and municipal worker Nitin, who pulled back the sheet to reveal a lifeless mannequin instead of a human corpse.
Acting swiftly, authorities were alerted and a police team recovered the vehicle along with three additional mannequins from the spot. While Somani and Khurana were taken into custody immediately, their two accomplices managed to flee. During intense interrogation, Somani confessed that crippling debt of Rs 50 lakh had driven him into severe depression, prompting him to hatch the desperate and meticulously planned fraud over the past year.
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Investigators revealed that Somani had secretly obtained Anshul’s Aadhaar and PAN documents under the pretext of official paperwork and purchased a Tata AIA life insurance policy worth Rs 50 lakh in his name, diligently paying premiums to keep it active. The plot involved sending the unaware Anshul to Prayagraj, staging the fake cremation with an official receipt, obtaining a fraudulent death certificate, and then claiming the insurance payout to clear his debts.
Police verified Anshul was alive and unaware of the conspiracy through a video call from Somani’s phone. Circle Officer Stuti Singh confirmed the case as a clear instance of insurance fraud and stated that a detailed investigation is underway, with teams actively pursuing the two absconding suspects to unravel the full extent of the criminal scheme.
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