Two businessmen arrested for attempting fake cremation with mannequin to claim insurance

Uttar Pradesh: In a bizarre case of insurance fraud, two Delhi-based textile traders were arrested in Hapur district after they allegedly attempted to cremate a plastic human-shaped dummy to falsely claim insurance money. The incident was uncovered at the Brijghat cremation site in the Garh Kotwali area, a popular pilgrimage location.

The duo — identified as Kamal Somani and Ashish Khurana — arrived at the cremation ground on Thursday with what they claimed to be the body of a man named Anshul from Prayagraj. However, cremation staff became suspicious due to the unnatural appearance and weight of the ‘body’. Upon inspection, it was revealed to be a mannequin wrapped to resemble a corpse.

Authorities were immediately alerted. When the police arrived at the scene and searched the traders’ vehicle, they discovered two additional human-shaped mannequins, strengthening the suspicion of a larger conspiracy. Both accused were taken into custody for questioning.

According to Hapur Police, the men initially claimed that a private hospital had handed over the ‘body’ wrapped in a sheet. But a deeper inquiry revealed a carefully planned financial fraud. Officials said Kamal Somani was under severe debt of nearly ₹50 lakh, prompting him and his associate Khurana to devise a plan to illegally obtain insurance money.

Police investigations found that the duo had extracted Aadhaar and PAN details of a man named Anshul — the brother of Neeraj, an employee at Somani’s garment shop. The documents were collected under the pretext of processing some work-related formalities.

Using these credentials, the accused purchased a life insurance policy under Anshul’s name with Tata AIA a year ago and consistently paid premiums. The plan was to stage Anshul’s ‘death’, cremate the dummy using his documents, secure an official death certificate, and then claim the insurance payout.

However, the plot collapsed when officials contacted the real Anshul via video call from the accused’s phone. Anshul confirmed that he was alive, safe, and staying at his home in Prayagraj, and had no knowledge of the conspiracy.

“Two Delhi businessmen attempted a fake funeral to claim insurance. They brought a mannequin in the name of Anshul, who is alive. The prime accused Kamal planned the scheme to obtain ₹50 lakh. Further investigation is underway to determine whether more individuals were involved,” said Hapur Police officer Stuti Singh.

The arrests have sparked shock across the region, with police treating the case as a serious attempt at insurance fraud involving forged identity and fabricated death evidence.

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