Gujarat Man Shows Nephew’s Cancer Death As Road Accident To Claim Insurance, Held After 21 Years

A man accused of disguising his nephew’s death from cancer as a road accident to allegedly siphon off insurance and compensation money has been arrested after remaining on the run for 21 years. The Gandhinagar district Local Crime Branch, acting on a tip-off, arrested the accused, Mukesh Patel, from Kalol. Patel had been booked in 2005 after a CID Crime officer reportedly uncovered the alleged fraud. He was charged with criminal conspiracy, cheating and forgery.

Patel, his brother—then serving as a police sub-inspector in Sabarkantha—a doctor and several others allegedly conspired to fabricate a trail of official documents and portray the cancer patient as a victim of a road accident.

The deceased had undergone treatment for blood cancer at MP Shah Hospital between 1995 and 1999. He died at his home in Pratappura village on May 18, 1999.

Three days later, Patel allegedly approached a police sub-inspector at Vijaynagar police station and got a false accident complaint registered. Police alleged that the case was processed as an accident despite no body being produced for examination.

Investigators further alleged that a doctor prepared autopsy papers without examining the body, while a village panchayat official issued a purportedly false death certificate. These documents were allegedly presented as genuine to an insurance company, resulting in a Rs 5 lakh life insurance payout.

Patel reportedly used the same documents to approach the Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal in Gandhinagar, seeking Rs 15 lakh in compensation. He allegedly managed to secure ₹57,000 through the proceedings.

Several others linked to the alleged conspiracy had already been arrested, including the deceased’s wife, the police officer accused of registering the false complaint, the deceased’s cousin, the doctor who allegedly prepared the autopsy papers and a village panchayat official.