Insurance killing: Doctors, witnesses helped solve case

Hyderabad: Doctors’ opinion about the post-mortem examination and the statements of witnesses played a key role in helping the Nalgonda police solve the sensational case of murder that was committed to claim insurance money.

On March 9, Nalgonda police arrested five persons including the main accused, D Raju, 35, an insurance agent, for claiming insurance in the name of six people, of which five were killed by the accused and one was a natural death, faked as road accident. Raju, along with different associates, committed the murders during the past eight years in erstwhile Nalgonda district.

The crime came to light when Raju and his associates killed a 42-year-old liquor shop worker, Koti Reddy of Kondrapole village, in Nalgonda district on February 24, and faked it as a road accident. After the incident was reported, Koti Reddy’s mother and other family members raised doubts over the involvement of his wife and her paramour.

Subsequently, the forensic team collected empty liquor bottles near the crime scene and the investigation officer wrote to the team of doctors from Miryalaguda government hospital, who performed the autopsy, requesting for a short opinion about the cause of death. As per the doctors, the cause of death was due to ‘asphyxia consequence to blunt injury chest and air way obstruction.’

To get a better understanding of the cause of death, the police then prepared a questionnaire, posing six questions to the medical team. As per the summary of the doctors’ responses, the victim’s ribs were fractured, lungs were collapsed, hemotherax was present and the injuries appeared to have caused death possibly by means of a blunt heavy force.

The response of the medical team about the nature of injuries was ‘suggestive of assault. Road traffic accident cannot be ruled out.’ The response to the final query— ‘In the entire course of post-mortem, the possibilities of internal injuries are homicidal or not?’ was ‘May be homicide.’

Based on the response of the medical team and the statements of the witnesses who saw Raju and other accused meeting the victim and visiting his house, police altered the road accident case to a murder case and arrested the accused.

Source: The Times of India