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Hide-and-Seek with Justice: Allahabad HC Slaps Warrant on HDFC Life Boss Over 'Deathbed' Insurance Scam Probe
In a scathing rebuke that exposed potential systemic flaws in life insurance issuance, the issued a against 's Moradabad branch head, Pulkit Gupta, for repeatedly dodging court summons. Justice Arun Kumar Singh Deshwal, hearing a in a cheating case, also ordered a top-level probe into policies allegedly issued to terminally ill patients via shady middlemen. The order adjourns bail for applicant Nawab Ali @ Nawabuddin while escalating scrutiny on insurance practices.
From Payout to Police Station: The Cheating Allegations Unravel
The drama stems from Case Crime No. 08 of 2026 at , under Sections 318(4) (cheating), 338 (forgery), 336(3), 340(2), 3(5), and 61(2) ( ). After a policyholder's death, HDFC Life paid Rs 9.6 lakh to his widow—the first informant. But Nawab Ali allegedly pocketed half, Rs 4.8 lakh, sparking an FIR for fraud.
Ali's , filed as Criminal Misc. No. 5675 of 2026, claimed innocence: he said he covered "huge expenses" for policy processing and took "liaisoning money" per an agreement—half the insured amount. No processing fees? The court wanted answers from HDFC.
Middleman's Defense vs State's Suspicion
Applicant's Pitch : Counsel and argued Ali bore all costs for the HDFC policy, justifying the 50% cut as standard liaisoning fees. They urged bail, citing the policy's legitimacy and ongoing trial.
Prosecution's Stand : Learned AGA, backed by a compliance affidavit from Sub-Inspector Kulveer Singh, painted Ali as a middleman exploiting vulnerable families. The widow's complaint highlighted the suspicious payout grab post-death, tying into broader forgery and conspiracy charges. Investigation status on links was sought.
The court zeroed in on a core question: Does HDFC charge processing or service fees that could legitimize such "liaisoning"?
Summons Ignored: HDFC's Branch Head Plays Truant
On , Justice Deshwal summoned HDFC's Moradabad Branch Manager (near Mahila Thana, Civil Lines) for to clarify fees. No show. Advocate appeared sans , claiming instructions from absent Branch Head Pulkit Gupta—deemed "disrespect" and potential .
: ordered to produce him next day. Instead, Sub-Inspector Ajendra Kumar brought Ashish Agarwal, Sales Head. An email trail revealed Gupta's ploy: notified police on , he lobbied legal seniors to send a substitute, admitting the summons but evading personally.
No precedents were cited, but the court drew on under equivalents in BNS era, stressing amid rising insurance fraud trends.
"Hide and Seek Game": Court's Fiery Observations
Justice Deshwal didn't mince words in Key Observations :
"This is very serious that a person who was specifically directed by this Court kept on playing hide and seek game instead of appearing before this court in compliance of the order of this court."
"It is also surprising that SSP, Moradabad, instead of verifying the fact that the court had specifically directed the Branch Head of, Civil Lines, Moradabad, ensured the appearance of some other officer, who is not concerned with this case.""This Court came across number of cases wherein the life insurance policy was issued to the person who is on death bed through middlemen ."
These quotes underscore the bench's frustration with evasion and alarm over "forged policies."
Warrant Issued, Probe Launched: What Happens Next?
The court ordered: - via against Gupta, who must show cause against on appearance (bail possible with undertaking). - to ensure his presence by , at 10 AM. - VP, , New Delhi, to probe Moradabad-region deathbed policies and HDFC officials' roles. - Applicant time for rejoinder affidavit.
Bail remains pending. This ruling signals zero tolerance for judicial defiance, potentially chilling similar middleman scams. As reports note, such trends via agents raise red flags on insurer oversight—HDFC now faces a reckoning.
The saga spotlights vulnerabilities in life insurance, urging reforms amid growing "deathbed" claims.
