Karnataka businessman arrested for killing his lookalike for insurance benefits

Muniswamy Gowda and his wife hatched a plan to kill a man who looked like him and fake Gowda's death to get insurance money

Updated on: Aug 26, 2024, 09:05:32 IST

By HT News Desk

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Muniswamy Gowda, a businessman in Karnataka, was arrested for killing a man who resembled him to claim insurance benefits. His wife who was involved in the plan with him, is currently on the run.

Muniswamy Gowda, a businessman in Karnataka, was arrested for killing a man who resembled him to claim insurance benefits.(Representative image) (HT_PRINT)

The police have arrested Muniswamy Gowda and a truck driver Devendra Nayaka for allegedly murdering an unidentified man for insurance money, reported The Indian Express.

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In a story straight out of a crime drama, Muniswamy Gowda's wife Shilparani identified a body as her husband on August 13. The man she claimed as her husband had apparently died while changing a flat tyre on the side of the road in Gollarahalli.

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Shilparani proceeded to perform funeral rites for the man. Everyone was convinced Gowda died in the road accident and Shilparani initiated the insurance claim process.

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The couple, who live in Hosokote in Bengaluru Rural, had hatched this plan to solve their financial issues after Gowda bought several life insurance policies, naming his wife as his nominee, said Mohammad Sujeetha, superintendent of police in Hassan.

According to the police, Gowda and Shilparani lured the victim – a beggar – into travelling with them. Using the excuse of a flat tyre, Gowda allegedly pushed him under the wheels of a truck, driven by Nayaka, to make it appear like a road accident.

Gowda's mistake in this plan was to meet his distant relative Srinivas after his fake funeral. Srinivas, who was an inspector at the Sidlaghatta police station in Chikkaballapura, immediately informed the Gandasi police inspector.

Upon being interrogated by the Hassan police, Gowda confessed to the crime.He stated that he had racked up debts while running his tyre shop and thought that claiming accident insurance benefits would solve his financial problems.

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