Priest, MBA grad, tutor: 5 more held in Rs 14 crore Delhi ‘digital arrest’ case; syndicate operating from Cambodia, Nepal

Bhupender Kumar Mishra alias Atul Mishra, 37, holds an MBA and was engaged in private employment. Aadesh Kumar Singh, 36, has completed BA (Hons) and was involved in providing tuitions and private coaching to students.

According to the police, the victims, Om Taneja, 81, and Indira Taneja, 77, residents of GK 2, were duped of Rs 14.85 crore by scammers between December 24, 2025, and January 9, 2026.

The scammers had posed as Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) officials, claiming that Indira’s mobile number, registered in her name, had surfaced in a money-laundering case in Mumbai. They told the couple to pay some amount and provide their bank account details for verification, to be allegedly carried out by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

A special team led by sub-inspectors Raj Kiran and Atul Yadav, under the supervision of Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Prem Chandra Khanduri and the overall supervision of Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Vinit Kumar, conducted extensive digital and financial analysis. The investigation traced large sums to mule bank accounts, leading to coordinated raids across multiple states.

The first arrest was that of Divyang Patel from Vadodara, Gujarat, whose account received Rs 4 crore from the victim. Subsequent arrests included Shitole Krutik and Ankit Mishra from Gujarat. The police revealed that all the accused acted as facilitators, operating mule accounts and laundering money on instructions from handlers based abroad.

Accused Patel, 23, is a BCom graduate who has completed CA (Inter). He runs an NGO named Floresta Foundation and also provides financial services through his firm Tatva Business Advisors. Krutik, 22, holds a Diploma in IT from New Zealand. Ankit Mishra alias Robin is a BCom graduate and has previously worked as a Sales Executive with SBI Cap Securities.

Seven mobile phones and cheque books were recovered during the operation. Investigations have confirmed that the syndicate impersonated officials from the police, CBI, customs, and other government agencies to manipulate victims into compliance.

Calling the offence grave, organised, and inter-state in nature, the Delhi Police stated that further investigation is underway to identify additional conspirators and trace the complete money trail.

“The Delhi Police reaffirms its zero-tolerance approach towards cybercrime. Citizens are urged to remain vigilant against ‘Digital Arrest’ scams and immediately report suspicious calls or messages,” said DCP Kumar.