A road accident on the outskirts of Hamirpur, Uttar Pradesh, initially appeared to be a tragic case of a woman being run over by a vehicle. But within 48 hours, investigators allegedly uncovered something far more disturbing: the accident had been staged, and the victim's husband was among those accused of plotting her death for a ₹44 lakh insurance payout.

Police have arrested four people, including the woman's husband, Amar Singh, in connection with the case. Investigators allege that Singh, along with three associates, planned the murder, lured his wife Reeta to an isolated stretch of road and deliberately ran her over with a car before attempting to make the death look like a road accident.

The case has drawn attention not only because of the brutality of the alleged murder but also because of the elaborate attempt to disguise it as an accidental death.

Woman's body found by roadside in Hamirpur

The incident took place on the night of July 29 in the Lalpura police station area of Hamirpur. Farmers returning after guarding their fields reportedly spotted a woman's badly injured body lying near the road, around two kilometres beyond Paudhiya village. The condition of the body initially suggested that she had been struck by a heavy vehicle.

Police reached the location, secured the area and began collecting forensic evidence. At that stage, investigators were treating the case as a possible hit-and-run.

A crucial clue, however, was found on the victim. Police recovered a bank account slip from her clothing, which helped establish her identity as Reeta, who was married to Amar Singh. Her family subsequently approached the police, following which a murder case was registered against unidentified persons.

The apparent road accident soon began to look suspicious.

Husband reported her missing, then became a suspect

One of the details that reportedly drew investigators' attention was Amar Singh's conduct after his wife's disappearance.

According to the police investigation, Singh had himself gone to the police station and reported Reeta missing. Later, when authorities informed him about the unidentified woman's body, he reportedly went to identify her.

Investigators, however, found inconsistencies in his account. Technical surveillance, CCTV footage and analysis of his movements allegedly raised questions about his version of events. Police subsequently detained and questioned him.

The investigation then took a dramatic turn.

Police alleged that the death was not the result of an accidental collision but part of a premeditated conspiracy. During questioning, Singh allegedly disclosed the involvement of three other men: Amit Gupta alias Ram, Pushpendra Soni alias Sahil and Abhay Singh alias Golu. All four were subsequently arrested, according to police.

₹44 lakh insurance policy allegedly became the motive

Investigators say financial pressure was at the centre of the alleged conspiracy.

According to police, Singh and his associates were facing significant debts, with Pushpendra Soni reportedly among those to whom money was owed. Investigators allege that the group saw Reeta's life insurance policy as a way to obtain a large amount of money quickly and settle their financial problems.

A life insurance policy worth ₹44 lakh had allegedly been taken in Reeta's name. Her father reported that the policy had been taken around two months before her death and that a first premium of ₹2.60 lakh had been deposited.

Police allege that the accused had already worked out how the insurance proceeds would be divided among them.

Singh was allegedly supposed to receive ₹20 lakh. The remaining proceeds were allegedly intended to be shared among the other accused.

How the alleged murder was staged as an accident

According to the police version, Singh took Reeta to the Paudhiya canal road on the night of July 29. His associates were allegedly waiting nearby in a car.

The plan, investigators said, was to make her death appear to be the result of a road accident.

Police allege that the vehicle first struck Reeta, throwing her into a roadside ditch. The accused then allegedly pulled her back onto the road and drove over her again. The intention, according to investigators, was to make the death appear consistent with a hit-and-run incident.

After the alleged murder, the accused reportedly fled the area.

The post-mortem examination further complicated the accident theory. Reeta had suffered more than 12 external injuries and that extensive internal damage was found in her body.

The forensic findings, combined with other evidence gathered from the scene, became part of the investigation that ultimately shifted the case from an apparent road accident to an alleged planned murder.

Police investigation exposes alleged conspiracy

The breakthrough reportedly came through a combination of physical evidence and technology.

Investigators examined CCTV footage and carried out technical analysis, including scrutiny of call-related information and the movements of those under suspicion. Their findings allegedly contradicted parts of Singh's account.

According to police, questioning eventually led to the alleged confession and the identification of the other three suspects.

Authorities also recovered the vehicle allegedly used in the crime and an Airtel SIM card linked to the investigation. The four accused were produced before a court and sent to jail, according to the Times of India.

Additional Superintendent of Police Arvind Kumar said the investigation had established that what initially appeared to be an accident was, according to the evidence gathered, a planned murder.

The investigation reportedly took around 48 hours to unravel the alleged conspiracy.

Reeta's past and family background

The reports also shed light on Reeta's personal circumstances.

According to reports, Reeta had previously been married and had children from her first marriage. After her first husband's death, she moved to the Gujaini area of Kanpur, where she met Amar Singh, who reportedly worked at a flour mill. The two later married.

The couple had been married for around two-and-a-half years and described the marriage as a love marriage. Reports identified it as Reeta's second marriage and Singh's third.

Her children are now living with their paternal grandparents in Mainpuri.

A murder hidden behind an 'accident'

What makes the Hamirpur case particularly striking is the alleged effort to construct an entirely different explanation for Reeta's death.

The initial discovery of her body beside a road, the appearance of severe injuries consistent with a vehicle collision and the husband's decision to report her missing could all have supported an accident or disappearance narrative. But investigators' subsequent examination of the evidence allegedly exposed inconsistencies.

The case is also a grim example of how financial distress and the expectation of an insurance payout can become intertwined with violent crime. A life insurance policy is designed to provide financial security to a family after the loss of a loved one. In this case, police allege that the policy itself became part of a plan to cause that loss.

For now, however, the allegations remain subject to the legal process. The four accused have been arrested and sent to jail, while investigators continue to establish the full sequence of events and the respective roles of those allegedly involved.

The case began with farmers finding what appeared to be the aftermath of a fatal road accident. It ended, according to investigators, with the unravelling of an alleged murder-for-insurance conspiracy involving a husband, three associates and a ₹44 lakh policy.

The investigation's swift turnaround—from suspected hit-and-run to alleged premeditated murder—underscores how seemingly straightforward accident cases can change dramatically when forensic evidence, surveillance data and inconsistencies in witness accounts are examined together.

With input from agencies

Image Source: Multiple agencies

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