In a bizarre case from Uttar Pradesh, a man accused of murder allegedly used an AI-generated image and a goat’s cremation to fake his death and escape trial. The accused, identified as 38-year-old Rajkumar Rajbhar, was arrested on Sunday, October 25, after reportedly spending nearly a year and a half living as a dead man on official records.
Police said Rajbhar had allegedly arranged a series of forged documents, including a death certificate, to convince the court that he was no longer alive. The deception allowed him to stay away from legal proceedings in a murder case dating back to 2016.
Rajbhar was arrested near the Khwajajahanpur locality in Mau district by Kotwali Nagar police, assisted by the Special Operations Group (SOG) and the surveillance team. He had been out on bail while facing trial for the alleged murder of Yogesh Singh.
How AI helped Rajkumar Rajbhar fake his death?
According to police, Rajbhar allegedly planned the deception in Ghazipur on May 30, 2025. Investigators said an AI-generated image showing a body lying on a funeral pyre at a cremation ground was used to support his claim that he had died.
In place of a human body, a goat was reportedly cremated. Photographs of the funeral procession and last rites were also allegedly arranged to make the supposed death appear genuine.
The material was then used to obtain a death certificate from the Mau Municipal Council, which was submitted to the court. Police said the documents helped Rajbhar create the impression that he had died while the murder trial was still pending.
The case highlights how AI-generated images can potentially be misused alongside forged records to support an alleged deception. In this instance, investigators suspect that the technology was used as part of a wider plan rather than as an isolated act of digital forgery.
2016 murder case: Why was Rajbhar on trial?
The case against Rajbhar dates back to December 19, 2016, when Yogesh Singh was shot dead near the Munshipura railway line.
A murder case was registered against Rajkumar Rajbhar and his friend Sudarshan Rajbhar following a complaint filed by the victim’s nephew, Avinash Singh.
Rajbhar was subsequently released on bail while the trial continued. Police allege that he later devised the fake-death plan to avoid appearing in court and facing the ongoing criminal proceedings.
His arrest on October 25 has brought him back into the legal process. The murder allegations remain subject to trial, and a court has not established the allegations against him.
Police allege fake death was also linked to financial disputes
Additional Superintendent of Police Anoop Kumar said Rajbhar had not cleared his Class 12 examination and worked as a stock market trader.
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According to the police, Rajbhar had collected money from prominent individuals in several cities by claiming that he would invest it in the stock market. Investigators suspect that his alleged plan to fake his death was intended not only to evade the murder trial but also to avoid returning the money he had collected.
Police have registered a separate forgery case in connection with the alleged use of false documents.
AI misuse adds another dimension to the case
The alleged scheme involved several elements, including an AI-generated image, a staged funeral, the cremation of a goat and documents that were submitted to a court. Police are investigating the case as Rajbhar faces the murder proceedings and the separate forgery allegations.
The incident also draws attention to the growing challenges posed by AI-generated content when it is used to create misleading visual evidence. While such images can serve legitimate purposes, they can also be manipulated or presented deceptively.
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For Rajbhar, the reported attempt to establish his own death has not ended the legal proceedings. Following his arrest, he will have to face the pending murder trial, while the separate forgery case adds another layer to the allegations against him.