In a startling case of fraud and civic lapse, Belagavi City Corporation mistakenly issued a death certificate for a woman who is alive, allegedly to aid her husband in fraudulently claiming ₹23 lakh in insurance, as per reports.
The husband, a resident of Nazar Camp, Vadgaon, submitted a request for the death certificate, which the CCB approved without proper verification. He then used the certificate to file an insurance claim. While the first claim went through smoothly, a second claim raised red flags, prompting the insurer to initiate a probe.
During the investigation, assisted by police, the woman was found to be alive. The husband even confirmed it via a video call during the inquiry. Though the insurance company had approved the ₹23 lakh claim, it stopped the payout due to inconsistencies, thereby preventing the scam.
The issue came to light when insurance representatives and police officials met Municipal Commissioner Shubha B., who expressed shock over the incident. She directed Health Officer Dr. Sanjeev Nandre, under whose jurisdiction the certificate was issued, to lodge a complaint. While a report has been filed at the Shahapur Police Station, an FIR is yet to be registered.
Initial investigations point to the involvement of a Vadgaon crematorium worker, who allegedly took ₹50,000 to aid the false documentation. A female health inspector from the Nazar Camp area is also under suspicion for issuing a no-objection certificate without proper checks.
The case has sparked alarm within the CCB, resurfacing concerns from earlier incidents, such as the issuance of fake birth certificates to Bangladeshi nationals and a similar fraudulent death certificate used in a land dispute near the DC’s office.
