In a shocking development, a Maharashtra man set cobra on self to stage his own death and claim Rs. 37.5 crores life insurance. The man belongs to Ahmednagar district and had a life-insurance policy from a US-based firm.

To claim his $5 million insurance, the man used “murder weapon” in the form of a living cobra and went on to fake his own death by killing another destitute man. However, the man’s ploy was foiled by an investigator who was sent from US to India to take a stock of the situation. As the situation unfolded, the police ended up booking the man and 4 more accomplices who were part of the crime.

The report comes after another similar report emerged where a Kerala man used a King Cobra to kill his wife and was found guilty of the murder.

Contents hide
1. Background
2. The Facts of the Matter
3. Nephew Identifies Uncle’s Body, Accompanied By Another Man
4. Body Handed Over, Insurance Company Initiates Investigation
5. Man Who Identified Body Claimed Death Was Due to COVID
6. Startling Discovery Made – Man Had Identified Himself at Hospital
7. Police Shares Further Details

Background

How far can you go to claim your life insurance money? Will you disappear and forge a death certificate to fool the insurance company? Will you conspire with a few people to stage a death and eventually go underground? Would you use a dangerous venomous snake to have it bite you and then claim the money?

On video sharing platform YouTube, several compilations of people jumping in-front of a vehicle deliberately to claim insurance money have emerged. While life insurance policies are looked as a safety haven by a lot of people who want to help their family after their demise, it’s also misused.

Recently, a Maharashtra man crossed all the limits and created an elaborate ploy involving a cobra to claim insurance money.

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The Facts of the Matter

According to an Indian Express report, 54-year-old Prabhakar Waghchaure conspired an elaborate ploy where he used a cobra as a “murder weapon”. The man staged his own death and killed a homeless man to eventually claim Rs. 37.5 crores ($5 million) life insurace policy.

Reportedly, 54-year-old Prabhakar lived in USA for about 20 years. In January 2021 he had come back to India and continue residing in Rajur village, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra. In April, officers from the Rajur Police Station were told of Waghchaure’s death from the local government hospital.

Nephew Identifies Uncle’s Body, Accompanied By Another Man

To take a stock of the situation officer from the police station took to the government hospital. There he met a man who identified as the deceased man’s nephew Praveen. Praveen identified the body of his uncle. Praveen was accompanied by another man named Harshad Lahamge. Harshad too identified Prabhakar body at the hospital.

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Body Handed Over, Insurance Company Initiates Investigation

The body of his uncle was handed to Praveen for last rites. Moreover, a preliminary medical report was also issued which stated that the cause of death for Prabhakar was death by snakebite. Meanwhile, the US-based insurance company contacted Prabhakar family and the government hospital, and other authorities, to investigate his death.

The police took to Prabhakar’s Rajur based home. Over there, a neighbour confirmed to the police that they had not heard any incidents regarding snakebite. However, the neighbour claimed that they heard an ambulance arrive at the time of the incident.

Man Who Identified Body Claimed Death Was Due to COVID

Interestingly enough, when the police contacted Harshad Lahamge, the man who had accompanied Praveen’s nephew, he claimed that Praveen had died due to COVID-19. The police, puzzled by the discrepancies, continued the investigation.

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Startling Discovery Made – Man Had Identified Himself at Hospital

After taking a look at Praveen’s call records, the police made a startling discovery. The police discovered that Prabhakar was alive, and further, posed as his nephew Praveen at the hospital. After the discovery was made, the police put Prabhakar under detention.

Police Shares Further Details

The Superintendent of Police Manoj Patil was cited in an Indian Express report giving more insight into the matter. According to SP Patil, the insurance company took help of an investigator because earlier he had claimed that his wife had died to claim insurance who was found to be alive.

SP Patil further added that to have a body presented at the hospital, Prabhakar and his accomplices first found a homeless man. The homeless man looked similar to Prabhakar and was later bitten with a cobra that was set off by Prabhakar.