Mumbai: In a chilling case of deception and murder, a man in Maharashtra allegedly killed an unsuspecting hitchhiker to fake his own death, allowing his family to mourn him—only for the plan to unravel due to a series of messages he continued to send to his girlfriend.
The case came to light in the early hours of Sunday when police in Ausa taluka of Latur district were informed about a charred body found inside a completely burnt car. The vehicle was traced to its owner, who told police that he had lent the car to a relative, Ganesh Chavan, a bank recovery agent.
When officers attempted to contact Chavan, they were told he had not returned home and his mobile phone was switched off. Based on the circumstances, police initially believed the burnt body was that of Chavan.
“Based on all these facts, our initial assumption was that the person who had died was Chavan,” said Latur Superintendent of Police Amol Tambe.
Suspicion Grows During Investigation
However, as the investigation progressed, police noticed several inconsistencies. By Monday, they began digging deeper into Chavan’s personal life and learned that he was in a relationship with a woman.
“When we questioned the woman, we learned that after the incident, Ganesh Chavan was messaging her and chatting using another phone number,” SP Tambe said.
This revelation turned the investigation on its head. Realising that the man presumed dead was very much alive, police began tracking the alternate phone number. This trail led them first to Kolhapur and then to Vijaydurg in Sindhudurg district, where Chavan was eventually located and taken into custody.
A Murder Planned for Insurance Money
During interrogation, Chavan reportedly confessed to taking out a ₹1-crore life insurance policy, which he intended to use to repay a home loan. To claim the money, he allegedly decided to fake his death by committing murder.
On Saturday, police said, Chavan offered a lift to a hitchhiker, Govind Yadav, at the Tuljapur T-junction in Ausa. Officials said Yadav was intoxicated at the time, which Chavan exploited.
According to police, the two stopped at an eatery before heading towards the Vanavada Pati–Vanavada road. After parking the car, Yadav ate food and soon fell asleep inside the vehicle.
“Chavan dragged him into the driver’s seat, fastened the seatbelt, placed matchsticks and plastic bags on the seat and then set them on fire,” a police official told news agency PTI.
To further mislead investigators and convince his family that he had died in the blaze, Chavan allegedly left his bracelet near the victim’s body.
Murder Case Registered, Probe Continues
Police have now registered a murder case against Chavan and are investigating whether he had any accomplices in executing the crime.
“Further investigation will be conducted to determine if Chavan had any accomplices,” SP Tambe said.