MEERUT, May 12 -- Sambhal police have uncovered a case of double murder carried out to claim insurance payouts worth Rs 3.5 crore. Seven people have been arrested for allegedly luring vulnerable individuals, killing them, and fraudulently claiming life insurance money. A third murder was being planned but was thwarted in time, police said on Sunday. The murders, which took place under the jurisdiction of Rajpura police station, involved the deaths of Aman and Salim, both targeted after being coaxed into purchasing multiple insurance policies. Investigators revealed that the accused had already received Rs 78 lakh from Aman's policies and Rs 20 lakh from Salim's. The arrested accused have been identified as Vedprakash, Kamal Singh, Sunil Kumar, Omprakash, Premshankar, Nirdesh, and Udaybhan. According to additional superintendent of police (ASP) Anukriti Sharma, the alleged mastermind Vedprakash, confessed during questioning that Aman, a relative, was chosen for the plan due to his vulnerable personal circumstances following the death of his mother and his father's remarriage. According to the police, Vedprakash, along with his brother Kamal, reportedly manipulated Aman into opening a bank account and signing up for several insurance policies, all under the guise of securing his future. They used Kamal's phone number to control all communications, including bank OTPs, and named Aman's father and stepmother as policy nominees. On November 15, 2023, Aman was brought to the Dhanari area on the pretext of attending a family event. There, the group allegedly got him drunk, drove him to a secluded place, and struck him on the head with a hammer. His body was left by the roadside to make it appear like a traffic accident. His identity documents were placed in his pocket to ensure quick identification, police revealed. Initially, police treated the case as an accident and closed the investigation. The insurance claim process was followed, with Rs 20 lakh credited to the nominee's account. The remaining amount from various insurers brought the total claim received in Aman's name to Rs 78 lakh, which was reportedly divided among the accused. Police further revealed that before Aman's killing, the same group had orchestrated the death of Salim, a theatre worker from Dhanari, for a Rs 2.7 crore insurance payout. On July 29, 2022, Salim was run over in a staged road accident. The case, registered at the Rahra police station, was closed after a brief inquiry. Following Salim's death, Rs 20 lakh was claimed from insurance companies and shared among the conspirators. Police said Babu is now deceased, and an investigation is underway to ascertain the circumstances surrounding his death. The racket was uncovered during ongoing investigations into suspicious insurance claims....