In a significant development, Delhi Police has arrested five more individuals in connection with a sophisticated digital arrest scam that defrauded an elderly couple from Greater Kailash in South Delhi of a staggering Rs 14.85 crore. This brings the total number of arrests in the case to eight, highlighting the extensive nature of the investigation.
International Cyber Syndicate Uncovered
Police officials have revealed that the scam was orchestrated by an international cyber fraud syndicate operating from Cambodia and Nepal. The fraudulent activities took place between December 24, 2025, and January 9, 2026, during which the elderly victims were targeted through deceptive means.
Details of the Arrested Individuals
The five individuals arrested on Saturday by the Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit include:
- Arun Kumar Tiwari (45) and Pradyuman Tiwari (44) from Varanasi
- Bhupender Kumar Mishra (37) and Aadesh Kumar Singh (36) from Lucknow
- Mahavir Sharma (27) from Bhubaneswar
According to police reports, the backgrounds of these accused are diverse. Arun works as a private data entry operator and runs an NGO called Shivas Charitable Foundation in Varanasi. Pradyuman, who also goes by SP Tiwari, serves as a priest and conducts private pujas at the ghats in Varanasi. Bhupender holds an MBA degree and was engaged in private employment, while Aadesh has completed a BA (Hons) and provided private coaching to students. Mahavir, a resident of Ahmedabad, is a BCom graduate.
Modus Operandi of the Scam
The victims, Om Taneja (81) and his wife Indira Taneja (77), residents of GK 2, were duped by scammers posing as officials from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). The fraudsters falsely claimed that Indira's mobile number was linked to a money-laundering case in Mumbai, pressuring the couple to pay a substantial amount and provide their bank account details for verification, allegedly to be conducted by the Reserve Bank of India.
Recovery Efforts and Previous Arrests
So far, authorities have managed to freeze Rs 2.08 crore of the duped amount, indicating ongoing efforts to recover the stolen funds. The investigation, led by a special team under sub-inspectors Raj Kiran and Atul Yadav, with supervision from ACP Prem Chandra Khanduri and DCP Vinit Kumar, involved tracing large sums to mule bank accounts and conducting coordinated raids across multiple states.
Earlier arrests in the case include Divyang Patel (23) from Vadodara, whose account received Rs 4 crore from the victims. Divyang, a BCom graduate who has completed CA (Inter), runs the Floresta Foundation NGO and offers financial services through his firm Tatva Business Advisors. Additionally, Shitole Krutik (22) and Ankit Mishra were arrested from Gujarat. Shitole holds a diploma in IT from New Zealand, and Ankit, also known as Robin, is a BCom graduate with prior experience as a sales executive at SBI Cap Securities.
Role of the Accused and Ongoing Investigation
All the accused are alleged to have acted as facilitators in the scam, operating mule accounts and laundering money based on instructions from handlers based abroad. Police have described the offence as grave, organised, and inter-state in nature. Further investigation is underway to identify additional conspirators and trace the complete money trail, underscoring the complexity and scale of this cyber fraud operation.
