Ahmedabad, December 31: A shocking incident of fraud has come to light from Gujarat, where a man allegedly faked his death to claim life insurance. Police officials said that the accused, identified as Hasmukh Dhanja, faked his death by allegedly murdering his friend and setting the body ablaze in Gondal town. It is learned that the accused resorted to the fraud to claim life insurance money to pay off his mounting debt. The victim has been identified as Sandeep Goswami (40).

According to a report in TOI, Hasmukh Dhanja was believed to have been charred to death in Mota Mahika village on December 25. However, a police investigation revealed that he was alive and the real victim was his friend Sandeep Goswami. Cops also found that Goswami and Dhanja lived in Rajkot. It was also reported that Dhanja owned a property in Mota Mahika village, which is about 35 km from the city. Gujarat Shocker: Man Kills Relative with Sword in Temple After Allegedly Receiving Divine Orders from Goddess in Kheda, Arrested.

Man Kills Friends, Fakes Death for Life Insurance

A police official said that Dhanja allegedly killed Goswami with the help of a minor boy. After murdering his friend, Dhanja allegedly placed his footwear, purse and mobile near the body to make people believe that he was the victim. The alleged incident came to light when Dhanja's brother Hitesh, who was informed about the incident, found the half-charred body of his brother and alerted the police.

Minor Boy Reveals Truth Behind Incident

In his statement, Hitesh told cops that he found his brother's belongings and suspected the incident to be a murder. However, Gayatri, Goswami's wife, told police that her Hasmukh called her husband on December 25 as they were supposed to go to Mumbai for business purposes. She also said that the same evening, her husband told her that he, Hasmukh, and another person had come to Mota Mahika. Gujarat Shocker: 7-Year-Old Girl Abducted and Sold for INR 3 Lakh in Rajasthan to Settle Father’s Debt in Sabarkantha, 3 Arrested.

Following the call, Goswami's phone was switched off due to which Gayatri believed that her husband left for Mumbai. During the investigation, cops learned that three people came to the murder spot, of whom one had died, and the other was out of reach. However, they managed to locate the third person, a minor boy, who revealed the truth behind the incident. The minor boy told cops that they killed Goswami by strangulating him

Later, they set his body ablaze so that Dhanja could get the insurance money. However, the police are yet to arrest Dhanja, who is expected to reveal the real reason behind the murder.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 31, 2024 10:38 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).