A 35-year-old woman was allegedly murdered in a staged road accident in Hamirpur by her husband and his three friends to claim a ₹40 lakh life insurance policy allegedly purchased in her name around two months ago, police said on Sunday. The accused allegedly knocked her down with a car before running it over her twice to make the killing appear accidental.
Additional superintendent of police (SP) Arvind Kumar said the incident took place on July 29 near Pauthiya village under Lalpura police station limits, where the woman’s body was found by the roadside. Police identified the deceased as Rita.
According to the police, Amar Singh, a resident of Bamhrauli village under Maudaha Kotwali, allegedly conspired with his friends Amit Gupta, Pushendra Soni and Abhay Singh to kill his wife. Singh allegedly lured Rita to the canal road near Pauthiya on the pretext of some work, where his associates were waiting in a car.
Police said the vehicle rammed into Rita, throwing her into a roadside ditch. The accused then allegedly lifted her back onto the road and drove the vehicle over her twice, killing her on the spot. The car allegedly used in the crime has been recovered and all four accused have been arrested.
Investigators alleged Singh wanted to get rid of his wife and, on the advice of his associates, purchased a ₹40 lakh life insurance policy in Rita’s name from Axis Max Life Insurance around two months ago. He had allegedly paid the first premium of ₹2.60 lakh. Police said the accused planned to pass off the murder as a road accident to claim the insurance amount without arousing suspicion.
{{/usCountry}}Investigators alleged Singh wanted to get rid of his wife and, on the advice of his associates, purchased a ₹40 lakh life insurance policy in Rita’s name from Axis Max Life Insurance around two months ago. He had allegedly paid the first premium of ₹2.60 lakh. Police said the accused planned to pass off the murder as a road accident to claim the insurance amount without arousing suspicion.
{{/usCountry}}The case came to light on July 29 after police received information about a woman’s body lying near Pauthiya village. A police team and forensic experts inspected the spot, collected evidence and sent the body for postmortem examination.
On July 31, Rita’s father, Sarvesh Gupta, lodged an FIR against Amar Singh and his associates, alleging they had murdered his daughter. During the investigation, police said evidence pointed towards the four accused. During questioning, they allegedly disclosed the conspiracy and were arrested on Saturday night.
According to Sarvesh, Rita was first married to Rajiv Gupta of Mainpuri in 2002. The couple had three daughters and a son. After Rajiv’s death, the children stayed with their paternal grandparents while Rita moved to Gujaini in Kanpur. She later met Amar Singh, who worked at a flour mill in the city. The two allegedly fell in love and married about two years ago.