Delhi Police has made significant progress in a major cyber fraud case. Officers arrested three men for their alleged involvement in moving stolen funds. The arrests come after an elderly couple lost a staggering Rs 14.85 crore to sophisticated scammers.
Three Suspects Nabbed from Two Cities
Police conducted coordinated raids over two days. They apprehended Divyang Patel, aged 23, and Krutik Sitoli, aged 22, from Vadodara on Friday. Authorities also arrested K S Tiwari from Prayagraj. All three face allegations of handling illicit money from the fraud.
Details of the Sophisticated Scam
The victims are Om Taneja, 81, and his wife Indira Taneja, 77. They reside in the Greater Kailash 2 area of Delhi. Fraudsters contacted them posing as officials from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).
The scammers claimed Indira Taneja's mobile number was linked to a money-laundering case in Mumbai. They convinced the couple to pay substantial amounts for verification. The criminals falsely stated the Reserve Bank of India would conduct this process.
How the Money Was Moved
Police tracked the flow of funds to seven primary accounts. Two of these accounts were located in Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. Investigators focused on an account operated in Divyang Patel's name in Vadodara.
"This account held Rs 4 crore of the total defrauded amount," a senior police officer explained. "Krutik Sitoli, acting as a facilitator, then transferred this money to multiple mule accounts. His role involved withdrawing cash and redistributing it."
In a separate transaction, K S Tiwari allegedly received about Rs 2 crore into his mule account in Prayagraj. The total amount routed by these three arrested individuals reaches approximately Rs 6 crore.
The Timeline of Financial Losses
The scam unfolded over a tense 12-day period between December 24, 2025, and January 9, 2026. The elderly couple made eight separate RTGS transfers to the fraudsters. The transactions began with a payment of Rs 1.99 crore on December 26.
Subsequent transfers followed in quick succession:
- December 29: Rs 2 crore
- December 30: Rs 2 crore
- January 2: Rs 2.05 crore
- January 5: Rs 2.5052 crore
- January 6: Rs 2.10 crore
- January 8: Rs 2.20 crore
- January 9: Rs 50 lakh
International Links and Investigation Status
Police revealed the three arrested men were recruited through social media groups. "These groups appear to have been operated from Cambodia," the investigating officer stated. Authorities noted these specific accounts have not yet been linked to other cyber crimes.
Sources close to the probe indicate most of the stolen money has left the formal banking system. They estimate only Rs 2 crore to Rs 2.5 crore might remain within traceable bank networks. The investigation continues as police work to recover more funds and identify the masterminds behind this elaborate digital arrest scheme.
