Debt-Ridden Man Stages Drowning to Escape, Found Safe in Delhi

In Dhamtari, Chhattisgarh, a man’s clothes and slippers were found near the Gangrel Dam, leading authorities to believe he had drowned. Police and divers conducted a 12-day search before discovering that the man was alive and well in Delhi. The man, identified as Hemant Chandravanshi, had concocted a plan to fake his death due to being overwhelmed by debt. Chandravanshi, from Kawardha, had been staying at a resort near the dam with friends. On May 25, after his companions went to get supplies, he disappeared, leaving his clothes behind. His friends reported the incident to the Rudri police. The police initially focused on a drowning investigation, deploying divers to search the dam waters. When the search yielded no results, suspicion grew, and the police began investigating the possibility of a staged disappearance. They tracked a second phone number associated with Chandravanshi, which led them to Delhi. There, they located him and brought him back to Dhamtari. ASP Manishankar Chandra confirmed that Chandravanshi was in financial distress and created the false scenario to evade his debts. Legal proceedings will be initiated against him.