Maharashtra man fakes his own death by killing hitchhiker for insurance
In Latur, Maharashtra, bank recovery agent Ganesh Gopinath Chavan allegedly murdered a 50-year-old hitchhiker, Govind Kishan Yadav, to stage his own death and try to claim a ₹1 crore life insurance payout.
Facing heavy debts of ₹57 lakh, Chavan picked up Yadav one night under the pretense of giving him a lift, then drove him to a remote spot where he killed him.
How the plan unraveled
Chavan set his car on fire with Yadav's body inside and left his own bracelet behind to make it look like he'd died in the blaze.
Police at first believed the ruse—until messages sent from Chavan's new number after his "death" tipped them off.
He was tracked down and arrested within 24 hours in Sindhudurg.
According to Latur SP Amol Tambe, Chavan confessed and now faces charges including murder and destruction of evidence as police continue investigating possible accomplices.