The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Where delay may embolden false claimants

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Nov 09, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Where delay may embolden false claimants

By Our Staff Reporter

NAMAKKAL, NOV. 8 . With the probe into the slew of alleged false claims of insurance for motor accidents in Namakkal district proceeding at a snail's pace, there are worries that the delay might derail the whole investigation carried on by the CB CID and the District Crime Branch since the whistle was blown in 2002. With professionals such as doctors, advocates, businessmen and police officials coming under the scanner in the bunch of cases, any further delay in propelling forward the prosecution would allow the "offenders" go scotfree, feel insiders.

The alleged fake insurance claims in Namakkal district mostly pertain to the period 1998-2002 and cases were registered against alleged defrauders. Initially, the Namakkal District Crime Branch took up the investigation into eight cases of "bogus claims."

The cases were transferred to the CB CID, Chennai, in March 2003. Separately, 21 cases were registered directly with the CB CID following a Madras High Court directive in October 2003.

Of the initial eight, chargesheet has been filed in only five cases so far - three in the Namakkal courts and two in the Rasipuram courts. Five doctors, two inspectors, two sub-inspectors and four head constables are among the accused.

No arrests has so far been made, though lakhs of rupees of public money was sought to be swindled by unscrupulous elements. No chargesheets have been framed in 24 of the cases thus far. The CB CID in a chargesheet on one of the cases filed recently has observed that a head constable attached to the Oilpatty police station had "forged" the signature of the sub-inspector in altering the charges in the concerned First Information Report in the case. The impact of the investigations could be seen from the fact that over 450 claims involving about Rs. 7 crores were withdrawn since 2002. False claimants were deterred by investigations, but the trend might just reverse if there were to be any further delay in the probe, insurance companies feel.

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