Odisha Crime Branch Move To Curb Fake Accident Claims

Cuttack: The Odisha Crime Branch (CB) has decided to crack down on false complaints of vehicle accidents registered at police stations to facilitate fake insurance claims.

Taking note of the growing illegal practice, the CB’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has issued a list of advisories to all the Superintendents of Police (SPs) and Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCPs) of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar to personally look into such cases and take appropriate action against the fraudsters.

The list sent by the CID’s Additional Director General of Police, Santosh Upadhaya, advises:

—In all accident cases, the investigating officers (IOs) shall visit the spot immediately. Photography/videography of the crime scene and the vehicles involved shall be taken. FIRs on road accidents registered after a delay of 5-7 days should be looked into suspiciously and meticulously investigated, supervised by the IO to ascertain the merit of such type of cases.
—All accident cases should be reviewed by a police officer of DSP rank before submission of the family floater (FF).
—Doctors should be sensitized to record the brief of the accident including the category of the vehicle causing the accident.
—While verifying the insurance details of the offending vehicle, the IO will immediately intimate the details of the injured and dead persons to the insurance company concerned.
—The IO will take immediate steps for cancellation of DL of the driver of the offending vehicle.
—CCTV footage of the accident, if available, shall be collected by the IOs supported with a certificate under section 6-B of the Evidence Act.
—If the driver of the offending vehicle is arrested, his photographs with other identity details will be kept in the case record.
—In the FF, all previous cases of a vehicular accidents caused by the driver will be mentioned by the IO.
—GPS system may be encouraged in all public transport vehicles to prevent instances of planted vehicles in accident cases.
—In vehicular accidents, claim under Workmen Compensation Act by some persons are found to be suspicious. The IO have to collect unimpeachable evidence to prove the engagement of the injured/deceased as a workman employed by the owner.
—Samaritan people who rescue accident victims and shift them to hospitals should not be harassed at any cost.
—The fire brigade and ambulance staff associated in service for the rescue and immediate shifting of injured persons to the hospital may be examined in accident cases.
—Police officers found to frame documents incorrectly during an investigation must be dealt stringently under provisions of IPC, etc.

Earlier, the Orissa High Court had directed the state government to intimate about the remedial measures taken to prevent the filing of false accident cases and insurance claims. The court had passed the order while hearing a case of insurance fraud filed by ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company Ltd.