A day after an aged NRI physician couple in Delhi was “digitally arrested” and duped of practically ₹14 crore, the duo claimed that they had been confined to their home for 16 days, subjected to psychological torture, and coerced into transferring their total life financial savings, fastened deposits, and mutual funds.
In the meantime, police mentioned they had been but to establish the suspects behind the digital fraud.
The couple, 81-year-old Om Taneja and 77-year-old Indira Taneja, each medical doctors, had returned to India from the US in 2015. They reside in south Delhi’s Higher Kailash II and have been concerned in social work, Indira mentioned.
Based on police, Indira was first contacted by the suspects on December 24, 2025, who launched themselves as officers of the Telecom Regulatory Authority. They informed Indira that a number of complaints had been filed towards her cellphone quantity.
Recounting her ordeal, Indira informed PR that the cyber fraudsters informed her that the couple was concerned in a cash laundering case, which had grow to be a matter of “nationwide safety”.
“They informed me that 26 complaints had been acquired towards my cellphone quantity, and it was getting used for unlawful actions and for sending obscene messages. I used to be shocked. They mentioned my husband and I’d be arrested. My husband not too long ago had a surgical procedure and his well being is supervised by AIIMS medical doctors. I bought very scared,” Indira mentioned.
Based on the couple’s criticism, the fraudsters pressured the lady, and threatened that officers from Mumbai’s Colaba police station would communicate to her. Quickly after, a person posing as officer “Vikrant Singh Rajput” contacted her by way of a video name.
“The person mentioned I had financial institution accounts in Canara Financial institution in Mumbai. I informed them it was not potential as I solely had joint accounts with my husband and didn’t have an account in Mumbai. The fraudsters mentioned our case was linked to the Naresh Goyal cash laundering case,” Indira claimed.
The 78-year-old lady, who’s a health care provider, mentioned the suspects pressured her by repeatedly calling the matter a “nationwide safety menace”, and warned that the couple’s life was at risk.
Over the subsequent 16 days, Indira mentioned, the fraudsters saved the duo below surveillance via video calls and messages.
“They made me write letters to the Supreme Court docket and different businesses, and informed us to not discuss to anybody. My mates, legal professionals, kinfolk saved calling me from Christmas until New Yr, however we weren’t allowed to speak.”
The lady mentioned the suspects would monitor cellphone calls each time the couple was allowed to talk with their youngsters within the US. “The suspects monitored all our voice and textual content conversations, and saved threatening us to not discuss to anybody,” Indira mentioned.
Eight transactions had been made by the couple to seven financial institution accounts (of the accused) , mentioned police.
“As soon as my driver confirmed up with some X-ray stories, and it angered the suspects. They mentioned we couldn’t have anybody in the home or there might be critical penalties,” the lady added.
Police mentioned an FIR had been lodged with the Particular Cell and investigation was underway.
