An elderly NRI couple in South Delhi's Greater Kailash lost nearly Rs 14 crore in a digital arrest scam that confined them to their home for 16 days. Om Taneja, 81, and Dr Indira Taneja, 77, who returned from the US in 2015, were duped by fake police officers threatening arrest over fabricated money-laundering charges. Delhi Police have launched an investigation into the fraud.
Om Taneja, 81, an IIT Delhi alumnus and former UN employee, and his wife Dr Indira Taneja, 77, a Lady Hardinge Medical College graduate and dentist, had returned to India in 2015 after 45 years in the US to give back to their country. Living in a plush apartment in Greater Kailash-II, South Delhi, their ordeal began on Christmas Eve, December 24, when Indira received a call from someone posing as a TRAI official. He claimed her phone number was linked to a money-laundering case in Mumbai involving Naresh Goyal, who allegedly defrauded the Defence Ministry of Rs 500 crore using a Canara Bank account in her name.
A video call followed from a man identifying as Vikrant Singh Rajput, a Colaba police officer in uniform with a police emblem. Warrants were issued against the couple as key associates, but Om's recent AIIMS surgery prevented travel to Mumbai. They wrote 15 letters to authorities explaining their absence. Fraudsters then staged a fake Supreme Court hearing and introduced DK Gupta, posing as an IPS officer, for a 'verification process' requiring transfers to 'police' accounts for RBI assessment.
Over 16 days of digital confinement, Indira made eight RTGS transfers totaling around Rs 14.85 crore: starting with Rs 1.99 crore, followed by Rs 2 crore on December 29 and 30, Rs 2.05 crore on January 2, Rs 2.5052 crore on January 5, Rs 2.10 crore on January 6, Rs 2.20 crore on January 8, and Rs 50 lakh on January 9. Bank queries were deflected by claiming donations to trusts. The couple was monitored via phone, threatened that their lives were in danger from Goyal's men, and barred from confiding in family or neighbors—even their US-based children or Indira's sister nearby. When the driver arrived with X-rays, fraudsters reacted angrily.
On January 9, instructed to submit an RBI number at CR Park police station for refund, Indira went while on call with Gupta. The SHO grew suspicious during a heated exchange with the fraudster shouting over speakerphone, realizing it was a scam and disconnecting. The couple reported to the National Cyber Crime Helpline 1930, leading to an e-FIR. Delhi Police's cybercrime unit has initiated a probe, with eight transactions traced to seven accounts. Indira recalled, 'I was told my life was in danger and could not tell anyone.' Om added, 'We discussed everything from engineering to religion; their voices didn't seem fake.' Despite their education, Indira said, 'They showed my Aadhaar and PAN; it felt too real.' The Indian Express reports Rs 14.8 crore lost, while Hindustan Times notes nearly Rs 14 crore.
