Delhi Police Arrest Two In Gujarat For Rs 15 Crore Digital Arrest Scam Targeting NRI Doctors

Delhi Police has arrested two accused from Gujarat for allegedly defrauding an NRI doctor couple of Rs 15 crore through a “digital arrest” scam.

According to the police, the accused have been identified

as Divyank Patel and Shitauli. Of the total amount defrauded, Rs 4 crore was transferred to Divyank Patel’s bank account, police said.

Both accused were arrested from Vadodara. Delhi Police has brought them to Delhi for further proceedings.

This comes after, a 77-year-old IITian and his doctor wife returned to India after spending over 40 years in the US, with the aim of serving the nation through their NGO. However, a cyber fraud ordeal has compelled them to rethink their decision and consider moving back to the US.

One of India’s costliest “digital arrest” frauds wiped out the couple’s lifetime earnings, as they lost Rs 14.85 crore in nearly 15 days. A single phone call shattered their dreams of survival in India, and they are now fighting to recover their money.

Dr Indira Taneja received a call from a man posing as a police officer on December 24. Claiming to be an IPS officer, the caller alleged that her phone number was linked to offensive and abusive calls. He later invoked the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and threatened the couple, saying the matter was connected to national security. Similar warnings were also issued to her husband, Dr Om Taneja.

The elderly couple was defrauded by people posing as officials of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). According to the couple, they were kept under constant surveillance through their phones and were instructed not to disconnect and to keep their phones charged from 24 November till 9 December.

“The fake officer told us not to disconnect and keep the phones charged. He identified himself as Dinesh Gupta and remained connected 24*7 through phones. Infact when I told him that we have to take my husband for walk as he is suffering from a medical condition, the fake officer asked us to keep the phone on. Our phone used to remain on even while sleeping in our bedroom,” Dr Indira told News18.

Explaining why they did not inform anyone while repeatedly transferring money, Dr Indira said the caller claimed it was a matter of national security and warned them against sharing any details with anyone, including their driver who was with them at all times.

“They told us that Naresh Goel case is linked to National security and we have to transfer money which will get cleared and returned back to them. He also asked us,to keep it secret which they were also monitoring through our phones and laptops as they said it is the matter of national security,” Dr Taneja said.