MEERUT: What initially seemed like a tragic hit-and-run involving a wheelchair-bound beggar has now been revealed as a cold-blooded murder carried out for insurance fraud. Daryab Singh, 38, was deliberately killed by four men who then staged the incident as a road accident to illegally claim ₹15 lakh through insurance and government compensation schemes.
The suspects—Hariom, his brother Vinod Kumar, Pratap (a murder convict out on bail), and Pankaj Raghav, a relationship associate with Max Life Insurance—are now in police custody. They managed to fraudulently withdraw ₹10 lakh from insurance claims and siphoned off an additional ₹5 lakh credited under a government accident relief scheme meant for Daryab’s wife.
According to Sambhal Additional Superintendent of Police Anukriti Sharma, the murder took place in July 2024 near a hotel in Chandausi. The accused first got Daryab intoxicated, then hit him with a hammer. Once he collapsed, one of them ran him over with a vehicle to make the death appear accidental. They remained at the scene until they were sure he was dead, and an “accident” report was subsequently filed at Chandausi police station.
After the cremation, Raghav took charge of filing the insurance claims. He allegedly manipulated Daryab’s unsuspecting brother, Rajender Singh, into opening a bank account to receive the benefits, while secretly maintaining control over it. Rajender was misled to believe the money was from government welfare.
Though the case was closed by police in December 2024, it was reopened 20 days ago when an insurance company flagged irregularities. Red flags included Daryab’s severe physical limitations—he couldn’t walk more than a few meters unaided—raising questions about how he ended up 27 km from his home. His wheelchair was also missing from the accident site.
Another major clue was the financial inconsistency: a man surviving on alms was suddenly found to hold multiple insurance policies with paid premiums. Moreover, the contact listed on the claim documents was not the nominee’s but Raghav’s.
Call records and bank documents eventually led investigators to the truth. Police have now filed an FIR under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including murder, destruction of evidence, criminal conspiracy, and fraud.
