CHENNAI: The CB-CID has arrested an advocate from Kancheepuram for allegedly orchestrating a major motor accident insurance scam by using impersonators and forged documents to siphon off compensation funds.
The suspect, identified as Padmanabhan, was nabbed following an extensive probe by the Madras High Court’s Anti-Corruption Wing.
According to the police, Padmanabhan had been operating the racket for the past four years in collusion with select government hospital staff and personnel from the police traffic investigation wing. The gang’s modus operandi involved creating fake documents for accident cases and fielding impersonators to pose as victims or their legal heirs during trial proceedings and Lok Adalat sessions. This allowed them to fraudulently settle cases and secure compensation from insurance companies.
The fraud surfaced after the high court received several complaints regarding manipulated claims.
While the current confirmed loss to insurance firms stands at over `12 lakh, investigators believe the scale of the scam could run into several crores of rupees if all fraudulent claims are accounted for. The case was transferred to the CB-CID in 2022 following a complaint by the Principal Administrative Officer of the District Principal Sessions Court. Following his arrest on Friday, Padmanabhan was shifted to a government hospital after he complained of health issues.
Investigations are on to identify other beneficiaries and officials involved.