Hyderabad: Police cracked an insurance murder case in Nizamabad district after arresting a woman and her lover for killing her husband to claim insurance money worth over Rs. 2 crore, officials said.
The victim, Pallati Ramesh, had multiple insurance policies taken in his name. Police said his wife, Soumya, and her lover, Dileep, allegedly plotted the murder to remove obstacles to their illicit relationship and escape with the insurance payout.
According to investigators, the accused initially attempted to portray the death as natural by claiming that Ramesh suffered a heart attack. Police said Soumya administered sleeping tablets to her husband and later strangled him, making the death appear normal to avoid suspicion.
The case took a decisive turn after the victim’s younger brother lodged a complaint, expressing doubts over the circumstances of the death. Based on the complaint, police ordered a re-postmortem examination, which revealed evidence inconsistent with a natural death.
Insurance murder case exposed after re-postmortem, police say
During questioning, police uncovered inconsistencies in the statements of the wife and her associate. Following sustained interrogation, both Soumya and Dileep reportedly confessed to the murder, officials said.
Investigators said the motive was twofold: to eliminate Ramesh, who was seen as an obstacle to their relationship, and to falsely claim the insurance amount by projecting the death as a heart attack. Police added that the accused had carefully planned the crime to avoid detection.
Further investigation is under way to examine the insurance policies, financial transactions, and the sequence of events leading up to the murder. Police said additional legal action would follow based on forensic and documentary evidence.
