Two arrested from Gujarat for duping Delhi doctor couple of Rs 15 crore The couple, Dr Om Taneja and his wife Dr Indira Taneja, had spent nearly 48 years in the United States, serving with the United Nations, before returning to India in 2015 after retirement. AdvertisementThe couple, Dr Om Taneja (L) with Dr Indira TanejaArvind OjhaNew Delhi,UPDATED: Jan 18, 2026 08:23 ISTWritten By: Mayukh DebnathThe Delhi Police have arrested two people from Gujarat for allegedly defrauding an elderly doctor couple of nearly Rs 15 crore using the infamous "digital arrest" scam. The couple, Dr Om Taneja and his wife Dr Indira Taneja, had spent nearly 48 years in the United States, serving with the United Nations, before returning to India in 2015 after retirement. After that, they became associated with charitable work. advertisement The accused arrested in connection with the scam have been identified as Divyank Patel and Shitoli. It is alleged that Rs 4 crore out of the total amount was transferred into Patel's account. Both the accused were arrested from Vadodara and later brought to Delhi. According to the complaint in the case, the fraud began on December 24, 2025, when the doctor couple received a call from cybercriminals posing as law enforcement officials. The callers threatened them with arrest warrants and false criminal cases, citing laws such as the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and alleging links to money laundering and national security violations. From December 24 to the morning of January 10, the scammers kept the couple under constant surveillance through video calls, which is a known tactic used in the "digital arrest" cyber fraud. During this period, they coerced Dr Indira Taneja into transferring money to eight different bank accounts. The amounts varied, ranging from Rs 2 crore to more than Rs 2.10 crore, eventually totalling Rs 14.85 crore. Dr Indira Taneja, the 77-year-old wife, had told the police that the scammers would monitor her movements closely.
