Man stages his own death for Rs 37.5 crore insurance claim, uses cobra as ‘murder weapon’

In a bizarre incident in Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar, a man tried to stage his own death using a cobra. The 54-year-old man tried to use a cobra as a “murder weapon” to stage his own death in order to get a life insurance claim worth UDS 5 million, which amounts to Rs 37.5 crore.

The man was the holder of a life insurance policy worth over USD 5 million with a US-based insurance company. The man tried to fake his death using a cobra, but his plan got unraveled by the insurance company as they sent an investigator to gather the facts around his death.

As the investigator made inquiries and the details of the incident were revealed, the local police arrested the man and four of his accomplices. Prabhakar Bhimaji Waghchaure had been living in the US for the past 20 years and has moved back to India in January this year, as per the police.

Waghchaure was residing in the Rajur village of Ahmednagar, Maharashtra since January. Officials from the Rajur Police stations received the reports of the death of Waghchaure from a local government hospital in the area on April 22.

The body of Waghchaure was identified by a man who claimed to be his nephew and another man who claimed to be a resident of the Rajur village. The cause of death was reported as snakebite and the body was handed over to his alleged nephew for the last rites.

The police investigation took a turn when reports were received that Praveen, who was actually Waghchaure’s nephew, had died due to COVID-19. The police further looked at the call records of the accused and found him alive, after which he was detained.

Ahmednagar SP Manoj Patil said, “Waghchaure and other conspirators hatched an elaborate plan. A probe has revealed that they procured a cobra from a snake rescuer. They found a destitute person, with similar looks as that of Waghchaure, and had killed him with the bite of the cobra. Waghchaure himself posed as his nephew Praveen and reported the snakebite death.”

The deceased has now been identified as Navnath Yashwant Aanap, a 50-year-old man, who had been living in the same area. The police revealed, “We have now arrested Waghchaure and his four accomplices. Waghchaure has promised Rs 35 lakh to the other suspects. We are also contemplating action against the snake rescuer from whom the suspect procured the cobra.”