New Delhi: NRI couple Dr Om Taneja (81) and wife Dr Indra Taneja (77), who were kept under ‘digital arrest’ between Dec 24 and Jan 9 and duped of nearly Rs 15 crore, had spent almost five decades in United States.Om, who served with United Nations and US federal govt, and his wife, a former professor and doctor at University of Medicine and Dentistry in New Jersey, said they had returned to India in 2015 to focus on charitable work through their trust, which provides healthcare and education to underprivileged children. The Greater Kailash-2 residents told TOI on Sunday that their ordeal began with a call from individuals posing as officials of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). They claimed that over 20 complaints were filed against the couple for circulating obscene videos and involvement in money laundering. FIRs had been lodged against them, the crooks said, warning that arrests were imminent.Indra said she repeatedly asserted her innocence. However, the scammers shared a phone number, claiming it was registered in her name and that her name had cropped up in a money laundering case linked to a bank in Mumbai.The scammers connected the Tanejas to what they claimed was Mumbai’s Colaba police station via a video call, during which they appeared in police uniforms to make the interaction seem authentic. They showed Indra a photograph of an industrialist, claiming he was involved in an over Rs 500-crore fraud and that the case was linked to her. They alleged that her thumb impression was used to open a bank account connected to the case. “They told us that the person involved in the fraud was working against national security and defence, and that we were suspects. They said we would be arrested and ordered us to visit Mumbai immediately,” Indra told TOI. When she said her husband had undergone a recent surgery, the callers asked her to write a letter to Supreme Court, explaining why they could not travel.“They warned us not to disclose the matter to anyone, claiming it would endanger our lives,” Indra said. They also questioned the couple about their children who are based in US. The scammers frequently used the term “SSA” during the video call, she said. The Tanejas were directed to disclose details of all their bank accounts and savings and threatened that their accounts would be frozen if they failed to reveal all their funds. After verification, their money would be refunded, the scammers promised. “We were kept under video surveillance day and night. Their video remained on the mute, but if I moved my phone even to the bedroom, they would immediately ask what was happening. They were watching all our movements,” the couple said. When they used to talk to their children and other family members, the scammers appeared to monitor their telephonic conversations through Om’s phone. The fraudsters also staged an elaborate courtroom scene, with a person posing as a judge, and frequently referred to court orders and legal notices. “One of our lawyer friends grew suspicious because I had not spoken to her for a long time. When she asked after us, I told her I was busy with my NGO’s work,” Indra said. On Jan 9, the scammers told her that her name was removed from the list of suspects but claimed that her husband had not yet been cleared. By this time, the couple were forced to part with over Rs 14 crore. “They demanded Rs 50 lakh more, which I deposited,” Indra said. Before each visit to the bank, she was meticulously tutored about what to tell the bank staff if questioned about the large transfers. “Suddenly, their connection went off. I cried, prayed to God and wondered what was happening to us,” Indra told TOI. On Jan 10, while the couple were planning to visit a school, the scammers contacted them again, claiming both their names had been cleared and that Reserve Bank of India issued a clearance letter. They instructed the Tanejas to visit the nearest police station.“They were still using my phone for surveillance,” Om, an IIT alumnus, said. When Indra visited the police station, she realised they had been defrauded.
