Palghar (Maharashtra), Feb 24 (IANS): In a stunning revelation, the Palghar Police on Wednesday contended that the Indian Navy sailor, who was said to have been kidnapped and burnt alive, may have "concocted" the story as he was in heavy debt.

A fortnight after the tragic death of Leading Seaman Surajkumar M. Dubey, 27, the Palghar Police investigations have punched holes in his claims and allegations as per his 'dying declaration' recorded by the police before he succumbed to his injuries on February 5 in a naval hospital in Mumbai.

Palghar Superintendent of Police Dattatreya Shinde told mediapersons that from available evidence and CCTV records in Chennai, Mumbai, and Palghar, it appears that Dubey may have ended his own life ostensibly due to a huge pile of unpaid loans.

In his 'dying declaration', Dube had recounted a story of how he travelled from Ranchi by flight on the night of January 30-31, how after landing at Chennai he was kidnapped by three persons outside the airport, confined for three days for a ransom of Rs 10 lakh before being brought to Palghar, where he was allegedly taken to a forested hillock and set afire.

"We had formed 10 teams to probe the matter. A lot of things have emerged. We are still investigating how and why he came from Chennai to Palghar, a distance of 1,480 kms," Shinde said.