best way to clear your debts

A small-time businessman from Rajkot found a strange way to clear his debts. He paid a supari to a friend and had himself killed so that his family would get the Rs 2 crore insurance money.

Eight months after paan masala dealer Yogesh Patoliya, 30, was found murdered on the outskirts of Rajkot, police say they have cracked the case. Crime branch officials have arrested Navghan Sindhav, 20, a close friend of Patoliya, who says he committed the murder because the victim insisted that he do it.

Crime branch inspector H K Rana says Patoliya had promised to give Sindhav Rs 90,000. The two had apparently made a pact where Patoliya wrote a letter stating that he owed Sindhav the money. Sindhav was supposed to show the letter to Patoliya's father after his death to get the money. Police officials have a copy of the letter but are yet to find out if Sindhav encashed it.

Sindhav worked with Patoliya for nearly four years and the two were close friends. The accused says he was shocked when Patoliya first proposed his plan but he convinced Sindhav by saying he should do it for the sake of their friendship.

On 17 August 2010, the two went in a car to Rajkot's outskirts. Patoliya even arranged for the knife with which Sindhav was supposed to stab him. The accused told the police he could not bear to see his friend's face while stabbing him so he turned away and then killed him. Police officials said the Patoliya had about Rs 2 crore life insurance cover from various companies and wanted the money to go to his family so that it could clear his debts.

The accused has also told the police that Patoliya had tried to kill himself by orchestrating an accident and had even driven full speed on Jetpur Road. When this plan failed, he asked Sindhav to kill him.