UP man, addicted to online gaming, kills mother to claim life insurance

The Fatehpur Police in Uttar Pradesh has said that a man, addicted to online gaming, murdered his mother in a bid to claim her life insurance payout and settle his massive debts. The incident unfolded with the accused, identified as Himanshu, allegedly killing his mother to secure a ₹50 lakh insurance benefit, then disposing of her body near the Yamuna river bank.

According to police, Himanshu was deeply immersed in gaming on the popular platform Zupee. His addiction drove him to borrow money repeatedly to continue playing, resulting in a debt of nearly ₹4 lakh, police said. Faced with mounting creditors, he devised a plan to repay his debts.

Additional SP of Fatehpur said Himanshu purportedly stole his paternal aunt's jewellery and utilised the proceeds to purchase life insurance policies valued at ₹50 lakh each for his parents. Subsequently, when his father was absent, he allegedly choked his mother, Prabha, to death. Afterwards, he concealed the body in a jute bag and transported it via tractor to the Yamuna river bank for disposal.

When Roshan Singh, Himanshu's father, returned from the Chitrakoot temple, he discovered that his wife and son were not at home. After inquiring with neighbours and visiting his brother's residence in the vicinity, he learned that no one knew Prabha's whereabouts. A neighbour mentioned seeing Himanshu on a tractor near the river, prompting Roshan to alert the police.

Subsequently, Prabha's body was recovered from the vicinity of the Yamuna river, and Himanshu was soon arrested. During interrogation, Himanshu divulged the startling scheme he devised to murder his mother, intending to alleviate his debt burden.

NDTV quoted senior police officer Vijay Shankar Mishra as saying, “The son was on the run after murdering his mother. We caught him and unearthed the sinister crime.”