Chhattisgarh doctor arrested for faking snakebite deaths to claim compensation
A 37-year-old doctor from Nagpur, Maharashtra, has been arrested by police in Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, on charges of helping forge autopsy reports to fraudulently obtain state compensation meant for snakebite victims. The accused, identified as Dr. Priyanka Soni, is among 17 suspects arrested so far, with authorities stating that more doctors are under investigation.
According to the police, at least 16 first information reports (FIRs) have been registered in connection with the case. Investigators allege that the suspects used old inquest cases involving deaths from natural causes, cancer, suicide, or other reasons to prepare fake documents and pass them off as snakebite deaths.
The Chhattisgarh government provides a compensation of Rs 4 lakh to the families of those who die from snakebites. The alleged fraud sought to divert these funds through false claims.
An officer from the Torwa police station in Bilaspur said that Dr. Soni, who completed her MBBS from Ukraine, allegedly helped prepare fake post-mortem reports and failed to collect skin samples for forensic science laboratory (FSL) examination. “At least four fraudulent post-mortem reports have been prepared, for which the role of more doctors is under the scanner,” the officer added.
The arrest follows a probe by the Bilaspur police into a series of suspicious snakebite death claims. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities have not ruled out the possibility of a wider network involved in the scheme.
