Police in Mau district, Uttar Pradesh, arrested Rajkumar Rajbhar on Oct. 25. He is a 38-year-old defendant in a 2016 shooting case, and police allege he staged his own death in May 2025 to avoid trial.
According to The Times of India, Rajbhar used a goat in place of his own body for cremation and relied on a cremation image described in the input as AI-generated through media retellings to obtain a death certificate, which was then submitted to the court. Police said he remained in hiding for about 18 months.
Police say the staged death was carried out on May 30, 2025
Police allege the plan was executed on May 30, 2025, in neighboring Ghazipur district. India Today, citing police, reported that Rajbhar was made to appear unconscious and taken to a hospital before being placed on a funeral pyre for photographs. After the pictures were taken, he was removed and a goat was placed on the pyre and cremated instead.
The input says the image showing him lying on the pyre was used in the process of obtaining a death certificate. It describes the image as an AI-fabricated cremation photo that was later used for official paperwork.
Death certificate was filed in court, and funeral rites were held
Police said the death certificate was issued by the Mau Municipal Council. After Rajbhar submitted the document to the court hearing the murder case, he disappeared from view.
He also obtained a cremation receipt from the cremation ground bearing the signatures of two witnesses. The input says he printed invitation cards for a 13th-day funeral ceremony, and his family went ahead with the ritual.
Investigators are also examining an insurance payout. According to the input, his wife received about 1 million rupees, roughly NT$340,000.
The underlying case dates back to a 2016 killing
Rajkumar Rajbhar and his associate Sudarshan Rajbhar are accused of killing a business associate in a dispute over payment for bricks. Police said Rajbhar was out on bail at the time and feared a life sentence, which is why he decided to fake his death.
Police have opened a separate forgery case in addition to pursuing the original matter, and two doctors remain under investigation. The input also says police believe two doctors who had invested in him suggested the fake-death plan.
Reports differ on whether cryptocurrency was involved
The input notes conflicting descriptions of Rajbhar's financial activity. Two outlets, including India Today, said he was involved in trading and cryptocurrency, while four others described him only as a stock trader. The material provided does not include further police detail on any cryptocurrency activity.