Delhi: NRI doctors duped in Rs 15 crore 'digital arrest' scam

Three individuals have been arrested in connection with the Rs 15 crore 'digital arrest' of an NRI doctor couple at their Greater Kailash-II residence in Delhi. The accused include two who provided bank accounts to the scammers and a facilitator. Investigators are probing links to operatives based in China and Cambodia, with significant portions of the funds routed through various business entities.

Details from the case indicate that Divyang Patel and Krutik Shitoli, both residents of Vadodara, Gujarat, helped set up mule accounts. Patel, who runs an NGO, opened an account in the NGO's name into which about Rs 4 crore was deposited. He allegedly allowed the fraudsters to use the account in return for a commission. Shitoli acted as a facilitator, arranging and collecting additional bank accounts for the scam.

KS Tiwari of Prayagraj is the third accused; he provided another mule account into which roughly Rs 2 crore was transferred. The victims, Dr Indra Taneja (77) and her husband, Dr Om Taneja (81), were subjected to the 'digital arrest' over December 24 to January 9 at their residence. The scammers posed as cops and claimed the couple faced more than 20 complaints for obscene videos and money laundering; the claims were part of the ruse to trap them.

The police traced the flow of funds: of the total Rs 14.85 crore, about Rs 4 crore went to the Vadodara bank account; Rs 2.10 crore was blocked. On December 26, Rs 1.99 crore moved to Jalukbari in Guwahati, followed by transfers of Rs 2 crore each on December 29 and 30 to Sama Savli in Vadodara. On January 2, Rs 2 crore was routed to Mayur Vihar Phase III in East Delhi, and Rs 2.05 crore was transferred to Nepean Sea.

Authorities have arrested three so far; two were nabbed in Vadodara and one in Prayagraj. The investigation continues to uncover the larger network behind the scam.

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