Insuring dead and dying: Top firms honour Sambhal police for busting Rs 100cr fraud

Meerut: Several large insurance companies have rewarded Sambhal police for dismantling a Rs 100 crore interstate organised network that operated across 12 states for over a decade, exploiting govt schemes and insurance claims through identity theft, forged documents, and targeted killings. The year-long crackdown, extensively covered by TOI, led to the arrest of over 70 individuals and the seizure of nearly Rs 12 crore in assets acquired through fraudulent insurance payouts.Now, in recognition of the investigation's scale and impact, insurance firms, through their corporate social responsibility initiatives, have funded key welfare projects for the district police. Leading the contribution, Tata AIG partnered with the NGO Round Table India to establish dedicated maternity and childcare rooms in all 15 police stations in Sambhal. These rooms are equipped with cribs, educational toys and private nursing areas to support women personnel."The police did a commendable job of exposing the network of criminals who committed insurance fraud and duped innocent people of crores. Our initiative, Support to Female Police Personnel, is a token of appreciation for the Sambhal Police's exemplary work," said Varinder Pal Singh, Head, Ethics & SIU (Special Investigations Unit), Tata AIG Ltd,ICICI Prudential and IndiaFirst Life also contributed by donating 15 scooters to improve mobility for women officers posted in the district. Amrish Maheshwari, chief risk officer at IndiaFirst Life, said, "Thanks to their efforts, we were able to plug the loopholes exploited by criminals, which greatly helped us facilitate insurance services for the rightful claimants. These scooters are a small token of our appreciation for their support."Sambhal ASP Anukriti Sharma, who led the probe, said the welfare support came at a time when women in the police force required better infrastructure at their workplaces. "In all 15 police stations in Sambhal benefited from the kind gesture of the insurance companies. This initiative alleviated the problems faced by our female police staff, either lactating or with small children. It will go a long way in ensuring a supportive work environment for them," she said. She added that Sambhal is now the first district in Uttar Pradesh where every police station has a dedicated maternity and childcare facility, alongside transport support for women personnel.The fraud investigation, which began in early 2025, uncovered an organised network that used forged Aadhaar data, fabricated documents and targeted high-risk individuals — including the terminally ill and deceased — to claim payouts under both private and govt-backed schemes. These included the Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana and the chief minister's Road Accident Insurance Scheme.Investigators revealed that in some cases, deaths were staged or deliberately caused, followed by the submission of forged death certificates and manipulated documents to extract insurance benefits. More than 25 FIRs were registered in the case. Assets worth Rs 12 crore, acquired by three key accused, were seized under the Uttar Pradesh Gangster Act.Recognising the wider policy implications of the case, Sambhal police hosted a one-day conference on June 30, bringing together officials from the ministry of finance, the Insurance Information Bureau, IRDAI, 45 insurance companies, academic institutions and investigative agencies. The event discussed institutional and legal reforms to plug systemic vulnerabilities and prevent similar frauds in future.