An incredibly greedy murder case in Hamirpur district of Uttar Pradesh has resulted in a man killing his wife to claim a Rs 44 lakh life insurance payout and trying to cover up the killing by a road accident. Amar Singh, 29, is in jail along with three of his friends after police quickly uncovered the conspiracy.
Rita was murdered in Lalpur near Baithka Dham Temple. Amar Singh initially tried to mislead investigators by filing a missing person complaint, claiming his wife had disappeared, according to police. But there were discrepancies in his accounts, which made officers quiz him a little more.
Amar Singh confessed to planning and executing the murder with his accomplices during interrogations, police said. Rita was beaten up so badly with sticks and wooden rods before she died, they said. To make the incident look like a car accident, the accused allegedly drove over her body and tried to burn it to get rid of evidence.
The post-mortem examination showed the extent of the brutality. Medical experts found more than 12 severe external injuries on Rita’s body. Almost all her internal organs, except the kidneys, had been heavily damaged, suggesting a violent attack, not injuries usually associated with a traffic accident.
The motive of the alleged murder seems to be financial gain. According to the father of Rita, Sarvesh Kumar, Amar Singh purchased a Rs 44 lakh life insurance policy in Rita's name about two months before the crime. He had also paid the first premium of Rs 2.60 lakh, apparently to claim the insurance amount after her death.
Rita had previously lost her first husband and later met Amar Singh while he was working at a flour mill in Kanpur. The couple married about two years ago. Rita was also the mother of four children from her first marriage and now they are living with her maternal grandparents in Mainpuri following the tragic incident.
According to investigators, they have heard that the accused tried to erase evidence and mislead investigators by presenting the murder as an accident. But scientific forensic analysis and technical evidence helped officers catch the truth quickly.
Hamirpur Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Arvind Kumar Verma said that despite the accused's attempt to destroy evidence, investigators solved the case within 24 hours through scientific methods and forensic evidence. Amar Singh and his three alleged accomplices have been arrested and sent to judicial custody.
The incident has again brought home the alarming trend of murders for insurance payouts and financial gain. Insurance fraud-related crimes are getting more sophisticated, and so forensic science and detailed investigations are more crucial than ever, law enforcement agencies have said.
As for the other people involved in the crime planning, or helping the accused after the crime occurred, authorities are looking at this too. Police are preparing to present a charge sheet in the case.
