New Delhi: An elderly NRI doctor couple from Greater Kailash-2 were allegedly kept under “digital arrest” for over two weeks and duped of nearly ₹15 crore, after scammers staged fake police and courtroom proceedings over video calls to make their fraud appear legitimate.
The victims, Dr Om Taneja (81) and his wife Dr Indra Taneja (77), were targeted between December 24 and January 9. The couple had spent nearly five decades in the United States before returning to India in 2015 to focus on charitable work through their trust, which supports healthcare and education for underprivileged children. Om Taneja previously worked with the United Nations and the US federal government, while Indra Taneja was a professor and doctor at the University of Medicine and Dentistry in New Jersey.
According to the couple, the ordeal began with a call from individuals posing as officials of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). The callers falsely claimed that multiple complaints had been filed against them for circulating obscene content and involvement in money laundering, and warned that arrests were imminent.
The scammers then connected them via video call to what they claimed was Colaba police station in Mumbai, with individuals appearing in police uniforms to add credibility. They showed Dr Indra a photograph of an industrialist, alleging he was involved in a ₹500-crore fraud and that her identity and thumb impression had been used to open a linked bank account.
“They told us we were suspects in a case linked to national security and defence, and ordered us to travel to Mumbai immediately,” Indra said. When she explained that her husband had recently undergone surgery, the callers instructed her to write a letter to the Supreme Court explaining why they could not travel.
The couple said they were warned not to discuss the matter with anyone, under the pretext that their lives could be in danger. The scammers also questioned them about their children, who live in the US, and repeatedly used official-sounding terms to reinforce the illusion of authority.
They were instructed to disclose details of all their bank accounts and savings, and were told their accounts would be frozen if they failed to cooperate. The fraudsters promised the money would be returned after “verification”.
“We were kept under constant video surveillance. If I moved my phone even slightly, they would immediately question me. They were monitoring our movements all the time,” the couple said, adding that their phone calls with family members also appeared to be monitored.
To further deepen the deception, the fraudsters staged a fake courtroom hearing via video call, with one person posing as a judge and frequently referring to court orders and legal notices.
By January 9, the scammers told Indra that her name had been cleared, but claimed her husband was still under suspicion. By then, the couple had already transferred more than ₹14 crore. They were later persuaded to deposit an additional ₹50 lakh.
Before each bank visit, Indra said she was carefully coached on what to tell bank staff if questioned about the large transactions.
The scam unravelled when communication suddenly stopped. The next day, the fraudsters contacted them again, claiming both names had been cleared and that a clearance letter had been issued by the Reserve Bank of India, instructing them to visit the nearest police station.
“When I went to the police station, I realised we had been cheated,” Indra said.
