Gujarat man makes Rs 40 lakh paralysis claim, found riding motorcycle

Nimesh Khakhariya / TNN / Updated: Apr 12, 2025, 07:40 IST

Text Size

Small
Medium
Large

In Rajkot, Mayur Chhuchhar attempted to fraudulently claim Rs 40 lakh from an insurance company by feigning paralysis. However, the insurance company's investigation revealed him riding a motorcycle and working at a tea stall. A police complaint has been filed against Chhuchhar and his physiotherapist, Dr. Ankit Kathrani, for cheating and forgery, with further investigation into the hospital's potential involvement.

Gujarat man makes Rs 40 lakh paralysis claim, found riding motorcycle

RAJKOT: A man who tried to get a payout of Rs 40 lakh from an insurance company by claiming to be paralysed and unable to walk was found riding a motorcycle and making tea at a stall in Rajkot within hours of his claim being investigated.
The insurance company's third-party administrator (TPA) unearthed the deception after documents submitted by the policyholder were flagged as suspicious.
A police complaint for cheating, forgery and conspiracy was filed against the policyholder, Mayur Chhuchhar (30), and Dr Ankit Kathrani, his physiotherapist, who allegedly prepared the claim documents. The role of the hospital where Chhuchhar claimed to have been treated is also being scrutinized.
According to the FIR lodged at Gandhigram police station by Dr Rashmikant Patel �?who was appointed by the TPA to carry out an audit �?Chhuchhar tried to claim Rs 40 lakh by use of fabricated consultation notes, MRI scans, blood reports and other treatment documents in April 2024.

ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company had first alerted the TPA to the suspicious claim on May 6, 2024. Chhuchhar had submitted indoor case papers from a private hospital, MRI and lab reports, discharge summaries and medical bills.
The TPA noted contradictions in reports from two doctors at the same hospital. While both consultation notes were purportedly made on the same day, they had conflicting assessments �?one claimed the right side of the body was paralysed and the other said it was the left.
An MRI scan at Civil Hospital lacked the associated outpatient records and while it bore a radiologist's signature it did not have the radiologist's name.
When Dr Patel and his team went to Chhuchhar's home to make inquiries, they met Dr Ankit Kathrani, who said he was Chhuchhar's physiotherapist. Kathrani had filled out the claim forms in English, saying Chhuchhar needed help with mobility and his daily activities. He also signed as a witness to the disability.
The investigating team surveilled Chhuchhar's house for four hours and saw him leave on a motorcycle. They followed him to a tea stall, where he was seen making tea. The team recorded these activities and confronted Chhuchhar, who allegedly admitted to the fraud. Kathrani allegedly confessed to preparing and submitting the false documents. A request was then made to withdraw the insurance claim.
A visit by the TPA officials to the MRI centre confirmed that the report submitted by Chhuchhar was fabricated.
Assistant commissioner of police (Rajkot West), Radhika Bharai, said: "We have detained Dr Ankit Kathrani and are looking for Chhuchhar. The investigation suggests that Chhuchhar was in financial trouble and conspired with Kathrani to file a fraudulent claim for quick financial gain." She added, "We are also looking into the roles of hospital staff and doctors and anyone found complicit will be prosecuted."