Something out of a film: MP man fakes death to evade arrest for theft; arrested 9 months later

The police nabbed a 34-year-old man, nine months after he faked his death after allegedly stealing Rs 6.65 lakh cash of a trader in Madhya Pradesh's Chhatarpur district.

The family of the accused had also performed the last rites of an unidentified body, claiming to be him, but the DNA of the deceased did not match with the man's family members, which revealed the truth.

On July 16 last year, trader Sudhir Agrawal had complained at Bamitha police station that a pick-up vehicle's driver, Sunil Namdeo, delivered some iron rods sent by him at a place in Rajnagar town, collected Rs 6.65 lakh cash from there and then went missing.

On July 24, 2021, an unidentified body was found in Kodahar area under Bamitha police station limits. Namdeo's family members then identified the body as his and even performed the last rites and other post-death rituals.

But, later the DNA test report said the deceased's sample did not match with Namdeo's family members, he said.

While a probe into the case was on, trader Agrawal, while on way to Bageshwar Dham temple, spotted Namdeo on May 3 this year near Gadha Tigadda in MP.

When Agrawal asked for his money, Namdeo allegedly threatened the businessman with dire consequences and told the latter that he was already dead in police records, the official said.

Agrawal subsequently approached the police and lodged a complaint, based on which the police formed a team and arrested Namdeo from Gadha Tigadda area last week, the official said.

The police also seized Rs five lakh from Namdeo's possession, he said.

A case has been registered against him under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, he added.