A burnt body, fake death: How a Karnataka man was caught after 11 years

In 2015, a badly burnt body was discovered in Kolar district of Karnataka, presumed to be Arun Kumar Reddy. His father had performed the last rites after the police found an unidentified corpse and his Aadhaar card with other belongings. However, it was later revealed that the body was not Arun's, who had staged his own death to escape debts.

He used an unidentified corpse and scattered his belongings near the burnt remains to make it appear as a murder. Arun was arrested again after being released on bail and disappearing for a while. Mounting debt and an insurance policy were the reasons behind his deception, which he reportedly drew inspiration from crime scenes in films like Drishyam.

Despite the police filing a chargesheet, Arun managed to stay hidden for a long time, never contacting his family. The Kyasamballi police discovered his whereabouts by tracking his Aadhaar details and SIM card, leading to his arrest in Chennai.