Archive · 3 Oct 2026
Police Allege Husband Planned Pregnant Wife’s Murder for Insurance
Kavita Chaudhary died after being hit near a village in Jabalpur.
At first, the police thought it was a road accident.
They say evidence from phones led them to suspect that the crash was planned.
Police allege her husband and another man arranged for three people to use a pickup truck to kill her.
Three people have been arrested, but her husband and the other alleged planner have not been found.
Investigators are checking insurance policies that could be worth more than ₹1 crore.
They are also looking at whether other family or marriage problems were involved.
A post-mortem found that Kavita was three months pregnant.
Police say Kavita Chaudhary was killed near Hatepur village in Jabalpur on September 4, and her death was initially treated as a road accident.
Investigators allege her husband, Prayas Pandey, and associate Mansingh Lodhi planned the killing and recruited three men to carry it out.
Police say a rented pickup was used to strike Kavita’s scooter and make the death appear accidental; the vehicle has been seized.
Three alleged participants have been arrested, while Pandey and Lodhi remain at large.
Police are investigating policies reportedly worth ₹25 lakh and ₹90 lakh, along with other possible motives; Kavita was three months pregnant.
- Who
- Kavita Chaudhary was killed; police allege her husband, Prayas Pandey, and four other men were involved in planning or carrying out the killing.
- What
- Police are investigating an alleged planned murder made to look like a road accident.
- When
- September 4; the article does not specify the year.
- Where
- Near Hatepur Ranital village, in the Patan police station area of Jabalpur.
- Why
- Police are examining whether insurance benefits were the motive, as well as possible marital or family issues.
Investigators’ Allegations
Motive Still Under Investigation
Alleged insurance motive
Investigators’ Allegations
Police are investigating whether the policies and possible accidental-death benefits were part of a plan to gain financially.
Motive Still Under Investigation
Police have not established insurance as the primary motive and are also examining possible marital or family issues.
Case status
Investigators’ Allegations
Investigators allege the death was a planned killing staged as a road accident, based partly on technical evidence and questioning of detained men.
Motive Still Under Investigation
The allegations remain under investigation; the husband and another alleged planner have not been apprehended, and police say the motive may become clearer afterward.
- Victim
- Kavita Chaudhary, who worked for a finance company
- Incident date
- September 4
- Location
- Near Hatepur Ranital village, Jabalpur
- Arrested
- Vikram Ahirwar, Dhaniram alias Kariya, and Ramji Chaudhary
- Still sought
- Prayas Pandey and Mansingh Lodhi
- Vehicle
- A pickup allegedly used in the killing has been seized
- Policies under review
- Police cited a ₹25 lakh policy, an LIC policy worth ₹90 lakh, and other insurance
- Post-mortem finding
- Kavita was three months pregnant