Karnataka businessman murders doppelganger for insurance money, gets arrested
What's the story
Muniswamy Gowda, a businessman from Karnataka, has been apprehended for orchestrating the murder of his lookalike to claim insurance benefits.
The Indian Express reports that Gowda's wife Shilparani, who was also involved in this plot, is currently at large.
The police have also arrested a truck driver named Devendra Nayaka for his alleged involvement in the crime.
Deception
Wife identifies victim's body as husband's
On August 13, Shilparani identified a body as her husband's, claiming that he had died while changing a flat tire on the roadside in Gollarahalli.
She then performed the funeral rites for the man and initiated the insurance claim process.
This elaborate ruse was part of a plan devised by Gowda and his wife to alleviate their financial woes after purchasing several life insurance policies with Shilparani as the nominee.
Murder plot
Victim lured into trap, killed in staged accident
According to the police, Gowda and Shilparani lured a beggar who bore a striking resemblance to Gowda into their car.
They then staged an accident where Gowda allegedly pushed the man under the wheels of a truck driven by Nayaka.
This was done to make it appear as if he had died in a road mishap.
The body was found near the Gollarahosalli Gate in Arasikere and was identified as Gowda through an Aadhaar card and driving license.
Plan exposed
Gowda's plan unraveled after meeting with relative
Gowda's plan began to unravel when he met his distant relative Srinivas, an inspector at the Sidlaghatta police station in Chikkaballapura, after his staged funeral.
Srinivas immediately alerted the Gandasi police inspector about Gowda being alive.
Upon interrogation by Hassan police, Gowda confessed to the crime and revealed that he had accumulated debts from his tire shop business and saw claiming accident insurance benefits as a way out of his financial troubles.