Karnataka forms SIT to crack down on insurance claim frauds

Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has constituted a dedicated Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe fraudulent insurance claims, complying with a directive from the Supreme Court aimed at curbing organized claim manipulation across the country.

The specialized unit, notified through a government order dated September 22, has been accorded full "Police Station" status under Section 2(1)(u) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023. This empowers the team with statewide jurisdiction to register FIRs directly and submit final charge sheets to jurisdictional courts under Section 193 of the BNSS.

The move follows an apex court order in SLP (Civil) No. 5582/2023, which instructed state administrations to set up dedicated mechanisms to fast-track investigations into fabricated and suspicious claims flagged by insurers.


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The six-member team will be chaired by the DIG of police (CTRS, Bengaluru). Its members will comprise a SP from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), a Deputy Superintendent of Police, and three Police Inspectors, all nominated by the DGP.

Operationally, the SIT will function under the supervision of the Additional DGP (Law & Order). All complaints filed by insurance firms will be routed centrally through the DGP to the specialized unit, which has been directed to conduct thorough inquiries and submit periodic progress reports without delay, an official notification said.