Man Murders Wife and Stages Road Accident to Claim Rs 30 Lakh Insurance in Jharkhand

The suspect admitted to the heinous crime during thorough questioning, revealing his motive was to collect insurance money.

In Hazaribagh district of Jharkhand, authorities have apprehended a man for the murder of his recently wedded wife in a case where he attempted to disguise the killing as a road accident to claim insurance benefits, police officials reported on Tuesday.

According to Padama Out Post in-charge Sanchit Kumar Dubey, 30-year-old Mukesh Kumar Mehta murdered his 23-year-old wife Sevanti Kumari, whom he had married just four months prior. The murder occurred on October 9, and Mehta carefully staged the scene to appear as a traffic accident with the intention of claiming a Rs 30 lakh insurance payout.

"We were alerted by passersby on October 9 about an injured couple apparently involved in a road accident along the Padama-Itkhori section of NH-33. Upon arriving at the scene, we transported both the deceased Sevanti Kumari and her husband, who was feigning unconsciousness, to Sadar Hospital," explained the police officer.

"While medical staff pronounced the wife dead and sent her body for autopsy, the husband, who displayed only minor injuries, received treatment," the officer continued.

Local residents became suspicious of the husband's conduct during his wife's funeral ceremonies.

"We received reports from community members regarding the husband's questionable behavior during the funeral rites. Our investigation revealed he had submitted a claim for accident insurance worth Rs 30 lakh. This raised our suspicions and led to intensive questioning of the suspect," the officer added.

"During rigorous interrogation, he confessed to committing the crime for insurance money. He admitted that on the night of October 9, he had taken his wife out under the pretext of seeking treatment for stomach pain, then assaulted her with helmets causing bleeding, before ultimately strangling her. He then placed her body on the road after deliberately damaging his motorcycle and inflicting minor injuries on himself before lying down beside her to create the impression of an accident," detailed the police officer.

The officer noted that the motorcycle lacked damage consistent with an actual collision. The suspect's injuries were also superficial in nature.

"We placed him under arrest and remanded him to judicial custody on Monday evening," concluded the police officer.