New Delhi, January 17: The Delhi Police have arrested two individuals from Gujarat in connection with a case involving the digital arrest and fraud of ₹15 crore targeting an NRI Doctor Couple. The accused have been identified as Divyang Patel and Shital.
According to the Delhi Police, during the digital arrest, ₹4 crore was transferred into Divyang Patel’s bank account. The police apprehended both suspects in Vadodara and have since brought them to Delhi for questioning. This incident has sparked significant concern among the public.
The victims, an elderly doctor couple residing in Greater Kailash, were allegedly defrauded by cybercriminals shortly after returning from the United States. The couple had been living in Greater Kailash since 2016. Reports indicate that they were victims of a scam amounting to approximately ₹14 crore. The cybercriminals had kept them under a ‘digital arrest’ for over two weeks.
During this time, the suspects maintained constant contact with the couple via video calls, monitoring their every move. The elderly pair was barred from leaving their home or meeting anyone, all under the pretext of an ongoing investigation by an agency.
Under the guise of property verification, the criminals coerced the couple into transferring large sums of money, assuring them that the funds would be returned post-investigation. However, when the couple received nothing in return, they realized they had been scammed and subsequently filed a complaint with the police, bringing the case to light.
The fraud reportedly took place between December 24 and January 9, during which the accused posed as law enforcement officials, compelling the elderly couple to transfer money into various bank accounts. An electronic First Information Report (FIR) was filed on Saturday, prompting the Delhi Police‘s Cyber Crime Unit to initiate an investigation.
