HYDERABAD: Nalgonda police are investigating a gang allegedly committing murders for insurance money. Police are interrogating a few suspects to find out details about the fraud. The insurance amount in some cases, claimed by the gang members, was nearly Rs 50 lakh.
On February 24, D Koti Reddy, 42, a liquor store worker from Kondrapole village in Nalgonda district, was found dead on Addanki-Narketpalli road. Initially, the family thought it was a hit-and-run case. But after the post-mortem, doctor informed police that injuries indicate he was beaten to death and later run over.
Police then found out that Reddy’s wife Harika along with a friend and an insurance agent, Raju Naik, had committed the murder. The accused confessed that the murder was for insurance money. Police took Raju Naik into custody and found out that the gang was involved in similar offences.
Police discovered that between 2013 and 2017 five similar incidents happened in the surrounding areas of Miryalaguda, where for insurance amount accused had killed the insured person and made the incidents look like road accidents.
“Apart from the family members of the victims, there was involvement of insurance agents and bank employees. We are also verifying the role of forensic doctors and police officials,” an official, involved in the probe, said.
The gang selects mostly victims suffering from severe illness or people unhappy with their spouses. After striking a deal with the family of the potential victim, the insurance company agent opens a policy in the name of the victim. The gang members even pay a few monthly instalments before killing the victim and then stage a road accident. A part of the claim amount goes to the victim’s nominee, while the rest would be shared equally among the gang members, police said. Police are interrogating the suspects to find out more details about the racket.
The main accused, Raju Naik was earlier arrested by Tenali police in 2017 in a similar case and trial is yet to commence in that case. “After AP police arrested him, Raju Naik laid low for a while and started the criminal activity again. The insurance amounts claimed by the gang members is about 50 lakh in each case,” a Miryalaguda police official said.