A woman from Pudukottai district has alleged that two individuals fraudulently claimed ₹7.5 lakh in insurance compensation meant for her after the death of her husband, who had died while working abroad in 2017.
Used Fake Family to Claim ₹7.5 Lakh
According to the petition submitted to District Collector M.M. Aruna, the complainant, Jayalakshmi, stated that her husband Gunasekaran had gone to work in West Africa through a private export firm based in Perundurai, Erode. Gunasekaran passed away in November 2017 during his employment overseas.
Jayalakshmi received only a portion of the dues—₹5.98 lakh—believed to be salary arrears. However, she later learned that two individuals, identified as Thangamani of Kothamangalam and Manikandan of Mangudi, allegedly impersonated her by presenting a different woman and children as Gunasekaran’s family. This led to them securing ₹7.5 lakh in insurance benefits and death compensation from the employer.
The complaint alleges that the impersonation was deliberate and orchestrated to divert the insurance payout to unauthorized individuals, depriving the legal beneficiary of her rightful entitlement.
District Collector Orders Probe
District Collector M.M. Aruna has acknowledged receipt of the petition and has assured that an investigation will be initiated. Authorities are expected to verify documents and identify how the fraud was executed despite the existence of official death records and familial proofs.
The incident has raised serious concerns over the verification mechanisms in death compensation cases involving overseas workers. Legal observers note that if found guilty, the accused could face charges under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, including cheating, criminal conspiracy, and impersonation.
The case highlights the vulnerability of families of migrant workers and points to potential systemic gaps in how companies handle insurance disbursements. Jayalakshmi is seeking recovery of the misappropriated compensation and appropriate legal action against the accused.
About the Author – Anirudh Mittal is a B.Sc. LL.B. (Hons.) student at National Forensic Sciences University, Gandhinagar, with a keen interest in corporate law and tech-driven legal change.