A 36-year-old man, Varun Kumar Nair, was arrested by the police on Thursday for defrauding Niva Bupa Health Insurance Company Limited of Rs 34 lakh. The accused, a resident of Ochira in Kollam, Kerala, allegedly used fake invoices to claim reimbursements for medical treatment and hospitalisation expenses.
Varun had taken out a personal accident insurance policy worth Rs 25 lakh. He underwent a cashless treatment at Valiyath Institute of Medical Science Hospital in Kollam, amounting to Rs 3,41,995. However, he falsely claimed an additional Rs 70 lakh for pre-and post-hospitalisation expenses. After verifying the bills, the insurance company paid him Rs 34 lakh.
The fraudulent scheme was executed using fake invoices procured through the PharmEasy online platform. According to police officials, Varun ordered medicines using the cash-on-delivery option, then cancelled the deliveries while keeping the invoices. He submitted these fake invoices to Niva Bupa to claim reimbursements. The amount from the claims was then transferred to a different bank account.
The scam was uncovered during an internal investigation led by Abdullah, a manager at Niva Bupa Health Insurance, and their partner, Optimus Medical Service. This investigation eventually led to the identification of Varun as the prime suspect.
Varun had been on the run after the Kerala High Court rejected his anticipatory bail plea. Following a manhunt, he was tracked down and arrested by the Kochi city police. After his arrest, he was presented in a local court, which remanded him to judicial custody.
