Karimnagar: Man kills mentally challenged brother for Rs 4 Cr insurance money; held

Karimnagar: A man in Ramadugu Mandal of Karimnagar district allegedly murdered his mentally challenged brother for Rs 4 crore insurance money.

The murder was passed off as an accident to claim insurance money to clear his liabilities.

However, the lid was blown off when insurance officials raised suspicions. Three persons, including the prime accused, have been arrested.

Debt trap turns deadly

Karimnagar Police Commissioner Gaush Alam said that the prime accused, Naresh (30), purchased two tipper vehicles three years ago and ran them on a rental basis.

With business slowing down, he failed to pay EMIs on time and began borrowing from friends and relatives. He also incurred heavy losses in stock market trading. Over time, his outstanding debts rose to nearly Rs 1.5 crore, pushing him into severe financial distress.

Living with him was his elder brother Venkatesh (37), an unmarried man with mental challenges. Police said Naresh saw him as an easy target to implement his insurance scam, the CP said.

Insurance policies worth ₹4.14 Crore

Elaborating further, the Commissioner said that over the past two months, Naresh reportedly took out multiple life insurance policies in Venkatesh’s name from both government and private insurance companies, totalling Rs 4.14 crore.

Around the same period, Rakesh (28) of Namundla village, to whom Naresh owed Rs 7 lakh, began pressuring him for repayment. Naresh allegedly offered him an additional Rs 13 lakh for helping in the murder plan. Tipper driver Pradeep (29) was also drawn into the conspiracy with a promise of Rs 2 lakh.

Video pact sealing the crime

In a chilling detail, police revealed that the three accused even recorded a video agreement, stating that all of them would share responsibility and punishment if the crime was exposed.

Murder staged as accident

On the night of October 29, driver Pradeep informed Naresh that the tipper had broken down on the outskirts of the village. Acting as per the plan, Naresh sent his brother Venkatesh to the spot on a motorcycle with his son-in-law Sai, while he followed soon after.

At the location, Venkatesh was told to lie under the vehicle to place a jack beneath the wheel. At that moment, Naresh allegedly started the tipper and deliberately drove it forward, crushing Venkatesh under the tyres and killing him on the spot. The accused later claimed that the death was the result of a tragic accident.

Insurance officials uncover the truth

On October 30, insurance company representatives arrived to process the claim. They found serious inconsistencies in Naresh’s account and were also alarmed by the unusually large sum insured in a short period. They immediately alerted the police.

A detailed investigation was launched. During sustained interrogation, Naresh confessed to orchestrating the murder. Based on his confession and supporting evidence, police arrested Naresh, Rakesh, and Pradeep, the CP said.

Police issue stern warning

Commissioner Gaush Alam warned that crimes committed for insurance gains will be dealt with strictly under the law, and those attempting to disguise murders as accidents will face the harshest punishment.