BJP neta's son fakes 'death' to dodge Rs 1.4 crore loan, held

BHOPAL: What began as a frantic river rescue in MP's Rajgarh district a fortnight ago, has unraveled into an elaborate fraud - Vishal Soni, son of Rajgarh BJP leader Mahesh Soni, fabricated his own death to evade Rs 1.40 crore in loans, sending police, administration, and SDERF teams on a 10-day, 20-km search of the Kalisindh River, even as he remained hidden in Maharashtra.

The drama began unfolding on Sept 5, when police received information about a car sinking in the Kalisindh river. Divers retrieved the vehicle, only to find it empty. The car was identified as belonging to Vishal Soni, prompting a large-scale rescue mission. Following allegations of negligence by Vishal's father, three separate teams scoured the river for nearly two weeks, covering a 20-km stretch.

Neta's son also tried to stage kidnapping
When no sign of Vishal emerged after eight days, suspicions deepened. Station house officer Akanksha Hada obtained Vishal's mobile call detail records, which revealed his location in Maharashtra.

Acting swiftly, MP police - assisted by their counterparts in Maharashtra - apprehended Vishal in the Fardapur police station area of Sambhaji Nagar district.

During interrogation, Vishal confessed to owning six trucks and two public vehicles but being overwhelmed by debts exceeding Rs 1.40 crore. "I was told that if I got a death certificate, the bank loans would be waived," he reportedly told police.

On September 5, at 5 am, Vishal collected money from his truck driver near Gopalpura, drove to the riverbank, switched off his car's headlights, and pushed the vehicle into the river before fleeing on the driver's bike to Indore. Reading newspaper reports of his own "death," he traveled to Shirdi and Shani Shingnapur.

When news reached him that police had traced his location, Vishal attempted to stage a kidnapping by tearing his clothes, rolling in dust, and filing a false report at Fardapur police station.

Two days prior to his arrest, police had questioned Vishal's father and brothers, who admitted suspecting he was staying with relatives. Police noted that there was no direct constitutional provision to penalise a man for faking his own death, so Vishal was handed over to his family without a formal case.

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