Ahmedabad: For Parul Desai, something didn’t feel quite right when she saw her 70-year-old neighbour Rita Desai wearing a worried look and closing the door on her in a hurry to go back to a video call. That’s unusual, Parul thought, having known Rita for over three decades as her neighbour in Maninagar’s Tapasvi Apartments. The 50-year-old forced her way in only to find that Rita and her husband Pankaj (72) had been placed under ‘digital arrest’ for over 48 hours. Parul’s quick thinking and timely action saved the retiree couple Rs 23 lakh of their savings.The couple’s daughter, Purvi, lives in Nasik while their son, Tarak, is in Vadodara, said Parul, narrating the incident. “On Tuesday, Purvi had spoken to Rita and had sensed something was wrong. “Purvi immediately called me up, saying her mother had sounded confused, frightened and unable to respond properly. I told her I would check on her parents,” said Parul.When Parul rang the bell, the couple only opened their door halfway and were seen on a call. Parul thought they were speaking with Tarak. “Rita would never slam the door on me or prevent my entry,” said Parul. Finding the couple’s behaviour odd, Parul made repeated attempts to contact them and finally managed to gain entry. “I saw their phone screen and immediately took the device away,” she said, adding, “They were in a digital arrest.“Parul first counselled the couple and after repeated assurances, brought them to Maninagar police station for help. Inspector J P Jadeja said the couple were under severe mental pressure and were being manipulated into following instructions. According to Jadeja, the couple narrated the entire episode, adding that the fraudsters had been nearly successful in making them end their Rs 23 lakh term deposit. The couple was planning to visit the bank the next day, but Parul’s timely intervention and persistence prevented the fraud before the transfer could take place. Ahmedabad city police and Maninagar police have publicly thanked and commended Parul for her presence of mind.EXPERIENCE HELPED SPOT RED FLAGS Parul acted from experience, as scammers had allegedly tried making her walk into their digital arrest trap. “I had received a call saying my daughter had been arrested under the NDPS Act,” she said. Parul immediately knew it was a scam. “Because my daughter and my son were in Canada with no immediate plans to come home. I disconnected the call, but the fraudster called again, after which I made an application with Maninagar police,” she said.
