Punjab: Businessman stages his own murder for insurance claims, arrested

In a major breakthrough, the Punjab police have solved the mystery behind the fake murder of Anoop Singh, who had plotted his own murder with the ulterior motive of getting over Rs one crore loan waiver and life insurance claim. The police have arrested all three main accused directly involved in the planning, preparation and execution of the plot. Further, the role of the other family members, including the father of Anoop Singh, is being examined to ascertain the involvement in the plot, as well as his false statements to the police.

About the incident

SHO Police Station Harike, on the morning of December 5, received information that a burnt dead body was lying on the edge of the Harike–Patti road. A Chevrolet car, with number PB02 CV 9351, was found parked next to the body, with the door of the driver’s side of the car left open. On examination of the body, it was concluded that the individual had been set ablaze with the hep of oil. Further, the stomach and abdominal organs of the victim had split out of the body. The Aadhar card, PAN card, ATM card and some photos were recovered from the scene, lying near the dead body, which led to its possible identification as that of a man named Anoop Singh, son of Tarlok Singh, resident of 75, Waheguru City, Chabhal Road, Amritsar. A bottle of oil was also recovered from the parked Chevrolet car. 

Anoop Singh’s father was informed of the incident. Upon reaching the scene, his father Tarlok Singh identified the dead body as that of his son Anoop Singh. It was also revealed that Anoop Singh’s family operates a wholesale cold drinks business in Amritsar.  A forensic team was also requisitioned from Amritsar and it collected vital biological evidence of the victim and other important physical evidence from the scene. The body was thereafter sent to the local Civil Hospital for conducting the post mortem. Further, based on the statement of Tarlok Singh,  FIR number 84, dated December 5, 2019, was registered under sections 302 and 201 of Indian Penal Code.

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According to a spokesperson of the Punjab Police, during a thorough investigation of the case,  Karandeep Singh, the brother of Anoop Singh, revealed that it was Anoop Singh and a man Karan alias Kaka, who worked at their home as a domestic servant, who had taken a homeless, immigrant man named Babba, living on the roadside, with them in the Chevrolet car to Harike – Patti road. Thereafter, both Anoop Singh and Kaka had stabbed the actual victim, Babba, with a sharp-edged weapon and then burnt the body by pouring oil on him and left him lying along the road with the Chevrolet car. Further, Karandeep Singh revealed that he was following the Chevrolet car in a Mahendra Bolero Camper car to assist in the escape of Anoop Singh and his accomplice from the scene after the commission of the murder.  It was further revealed that Anoop Singh, Kaka and Karandeep Singh had thus actively prepared, planned and executed the murder of the actual victim, Babba. 

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Three arrested

On the basis of these disclosures by Karandeep Singh, sections 182, 420, 120B Indian Penal Code have been added in the FIR, and Karandeep Singh has been arrested by the police. The investigation further disclosed that a business partner of Anoop Singh, who is based in Haryana, offered him and his aide, Karan, shelter there. He is being questioned for further details. Anoop Singh and Kaka have also been arrested by a police party of Tarn Taran Police from Tohana, District Fatehabad, Haryana. They have also confessed.

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Various contradictions in the statements of the family members and the employees of the factory owned by Anoop Singh and Karandeep Singh, as well as the differences in the skeletal features of the dead body from that of Anoop Singh, gave vital clues which helped the police authorities in tracing the murder case. Divulging the motive behind the murder, the spokesperson said the investigation further pointed out that Anoop Singh was burdened by several loans and had insurance policies which would have benefited him financially, by faking his own death. He had insured loans totalling around Rs. 75 lakhs which could have been waived off as a result of his death. He also had life insurance of Rs. 36 lakhs, as well as other policies, which would have resulted in total financial gains exceeding Rs 1 crores, from loan waivers and direct financial benefits from insurance policies, had he been able to prove his death. The choice of the victim and the conscious plan to burn the victim was made carefully to eliminate any chance of his positive identification.

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