Mannequin Funeral at UP Ghat Blows Open ₹50-Lakh Insurance Fraud Attempt
Mannequin Funeral at UP Ghat Blows Open ₹50-Lakh Insurance Fraud Attempt
What seemed like an ordinary day at the Garhmukteshwar Ganga ghat in Uttar Pradesh transformed into a scene of disbelief when a group of men attempted to cremate what was later found to be a plastic mannequin disguised as a human body. The unusual act not only startled the locals but also exposed an elaborate insurance scam worth ₹50 lakh.
The incident occurred on Wednesday when four men arrived in a Haryana-registered Hyundai i20, claiming they were there to perform the last rites of a deceased person. Instead of observing the customary rituals followed at the ghat, the group rushed straight to the pyre, skipping every traditional step. Their hurried behavior immediately caught the attention of people around. Suspicion grew stronger when some locals decided to inspect the body themselves. As the shroud was lifted, the revelation shocked everyone—a plastic dummy had been wrapped and stuffed to mimic a corpse. Realizing that this was no ordinary mistake, the crowd quickly detained two of the men while the remaining two managed to escape. Police were informed without delay.
When officers reached the spot, the detained men tried to spin a strange explanation. They claimed that a Delhi hospital had accidentally handed them a package that looked like a dummy instead of an actual body. Their story, however, was full of inconsistencies and began to crumble under closer questioning. Once taken to the police station for further interrogation, the truth could no longer be hidden.
During questioning, the accused—identified as Kamal Somani from Palam in Delhi and his associate Ashish Khurana from Uttam Nagar—finally admitted the real motive behind the staged cremation. According to Circle Officer Garh, Stuti Singh, Kamal was burdened with debts exceeding ₹50 lakh. In desperation, he devised a plan to secure a large insurance payout. Without the knowledge of his former employee, Anshul Kumar, he took Anshul’s Aadhaar and PAN details and used them to purchase a ₹50-lakh life insurance policy a year earlier. Kamal had even been paying the premiums regularly to avoid suspicion. The plan was to stage Anshul’s “death” by burning a fake body, obtain a forged death certificate, submit the insurance claim, and collect the money.
In UP's Hapur, local police was alerted after people were seen preparing for cremation of a mannequin at Brajghat. Two people have been taken into custody and motive behind the weird move is yet to be ascertained. pic.twitter.com/dCn0Jl6Y6R
— Piyush Rai (@Benarasiyaa) November 27, 2025
To remove all doubts, police contacted Anshul, who confirmed from his home in Prayagraj that he was alive, healthy, and completely unaware of any insurance policy in his name. Following this confirmation, police arrested both accused, seized the vehicle used in the operation, and launched a search for the two accomplices who escaped.
