Mastermind Nandyal Trader Fakes Death To Evade Loans, Claim Insurance

Anantapur: Pamulapadu police of Nandyal district have zeroed in on a trader who faked his death in a fire mishap by killing a mentally challenged person in the incident.

The trader evolved a devious plan to evade his debts to farmers and claim Rs 50 lakh insurance in case of his death.

As per sources, Farooq Basha traded in food grains at Pamulapadu by purchasing them from farmers. His debts to farmers had accumulated to more than Rs 1 crore, as he had failed to pay the farmers.

Farooq then hatched a plan to evade loans to farmers and also claim the insurance of Rs 50 lakh on his life. He convinced his family members into becoming a part of his plan.

Accordingly, on April 1, the trader lured a mentally challenged person Setty Prathap of Chelimella village in Pamulapadu mandal to his AK Traders warehouse in Pamulapadu of Nandyal district. While Setty Prathap remained in the warehouse, he set it afire.

His family then informed Pamulapadu police that a fire mishap had taken place at the warehouse in which a male person had been burnt alive. The family went on to identify the body as that of Farooq Basha when police conducted the panchanama and handed over the body to the family members, who performed the final rights.

On April 4, Pamulapadu police received a complaint from Swaroopa, the wife of Setty Prathap, that her mentally challenged husband had gone missing. On a hunch, police showed her the remains of clothes that they had found on the body of the person who had died in the fire at the AK Traders warehouse.

Swaroopa confirmed that the clothes belonged to her missing husband.

Pamulapadu police then booked a case and started an investigation. Investigators discovered that after hatching the entire conspiracy, Farooq Basha had gone into hiding in Hyderabad.

When contacted, sub-inspector Ashok said their search operations are going on. “We will reveal the full details soon,” the SI told Deccan Chronicle.