Suicides, Heart Attacks Passed Off As Snakebites? Inside Chhattisgarh's Rs 4 Lakh Compensation Scam
Suicides, Heart Attacks Passed Off As Snakebites? Inside Chhattisgarh's Rs 4 Lakh Compensation Scam Published By, Last Updated: July 21, 2026, 15:17 IST Investigators suspect
Suicides, Heart Attacks Passed Off As Snakebites? Inside Chhattisgarh's Rs 4 Lakh Compensation Scam Published By, Last Updated: July 21, 2026, 15:17 IST Investigators suspect doctors issued or facilitated forged medical records and post-mortem reports, while lawyers allegedly helped prepare legal paperwork to process claims Rapid Read The Chhattisgarh government provides Rs 4 lakh as e gratia compensation to the families of people who die due to snakebites. A government scheme meant to help families who lose loved ones to snakebites has allegedly been turned into a multi-crore fraud in Chhattisgarh. In a major crackdown, police have arrested 17 people, including a doctor, lawyers and government officials, for allegedly fabricating snakebite deaths to fraudulently claim Rs 4 lakh compensation meant for victims’ families. According to a report by The Times of India, investigators believe genuine deaths caused by suicide, heart attacks and other reasons were converted into “snakebite fatalities" on paper using forged medical and legal documents. The Snakebite Compensation Scheme The Chhattisgarh government provides Rs 4 lakh as e gratia compensation to the families of people who die due to snakebites.
The financial assistance is intended to provide relief to families, particularly in rural and tribal areas where snakebite deaths are relatively common. It is processed after verification by local authorities based on medical records, post-mortem reports and revenue department documentation. According to investigators quoted by TOI, the accused allegedly exploited loopholes at multiple stages of the verification process. The alleged modus operandi included passing off deaths caused by suicide, heart attacks and other medical conditions as snakebite fatalities; forging post-mortem reports and medical certificates; reusing existing inquest numbers to create fake documentation; processing the forged paperwork through government offices; and securing the Rs 4 lakh compensation meant for genuine snakebite victims. In one instance, investigators found that a suicide was shown as a snakebite death, while in another, a heart attack victim was allegedly certified as having died from a snakebite. Police have arrested 17 people so far, including a doctor, several lawyers, government officials, and other individuals allegedly involved in preparing or processing fraudulent claims.
Investigators believe the fraud could involve a wider network, and further arrests have not been ruled out. The alleged fraud relied on documents that appeared genuine. Investigators suspect doctors played a key role by issuing or facilitating forged medical records and post-mortem reports, while lawyers allegedly helped prepare legal paperwork required to process compensation claims. Revenue officials and other government functionaries are also suspected of enabling the claims to move through the system without detection. Authorities believe the fraud runs into multiple crores of rupees, though the exact amount is still being assessed. Since each fraudulent claim allegedly fetched Rs 4 lakh, investigators are now examining old compensation files to determine whether more fake snakebite deaths were used to siphon off government funds. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Key Questions Answered Could similar scams exist in other states? I cannot determine if similar scams exist in other states. However, Chhattisgarh has seen a Rs 4 lakh snakebite compensation scam where deaths from suicide or heart attacks were passed off as snakebites using forged documents to claim compensation.
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