Police yet to make breakthrough in Rs 14.85 cr ‘digital arrest’ fraud
New Delhi: Policeare yet to achieve a breakthrough or make any recoveries four days after an elderly couple from south Delhi was duped of Rs 14.85 crore in a “digital arrest” fraud. Special teams have been formed to trace the complex money trail as investigators struggle to identify the final beneficiaries of the swindled amount.
“We have formed two different teams to check the money trail. These teams are specialised in tracking financial transactions and the main accused will be caught soon,” a senior Delhi Police officer said.
The officer noted that investigations are proving “extremely challenging” due to the involvement of a large number of “mule” bank accounts.
Teams ate are actively pursuing suspects linked to the various accounts used to siphon off the money. An e-FIR has been filed and the Intelligence Fusion & Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit is conducting the investigation, the officer said.
The case came to light on January 9 after 81-year-old Om Taneja and his wife Indira (77), a doctor, approached the police. The couple, residents of Greater Kailash, had been kept under “digital arrest” for over two weeks.
The police said the fraud took place between December 24 and January 9. During this period, the couple was kept under constant psychological pressure through continuous audio and video calls. The fraudsters impersonated officials from telecom and law enforcement agencies, threatening the couple with arrest and coercing them into transferring large sums of money for “verification”.
The accused exploited the couple’s age and isolation. The Tanejas had returned to India in 2016 after working in the United States for several decades, while their children are settled abroad.
