Baby Brain and a $2 Million Scam: How an Indian-Origin Couple Defrauded NZ’s Child Welfare System

When Neha and Amandeep Sharma boarded a business-class flight to Chennai, they weren’t returning home in triumph. They were fleeing justice, having just orchestrated one of the most shocking scams ever to hit New Zealand’s Ministry for Children – Oranga Tamariki.

Their alleged crime? Siphoning over NZ$2 million (~₹10 crore) meant for vulnerable children.

Their defense? “Baby brain.”

The Perfect Cover: Love, Lies, and Lavish Contracts

Neha Sharma, a Christchurch-based mother of two, secured a senior property manager role at Oranga Tamariki in 2021—using forged references. Once inside, she funneled over 300 inflated and fake maintenance jobs to Divine Connection Ltd., a company secretly owned by her husband Amandeep Sharma.

No one in the agency knew they were married. The hidden relationship was the perfect cover for a scheme that went undetected for over a year.

While her team trusted her professionalism, Neha was quietly manipulating the system, using her access to green-light contracts to her husband’s company with minimal scrutiny. Over time, these fraudulent invoices piled up to over NZ$2 million.

“Retire at 35!”: The Dream Behind the Deception

Internal messages later recovered by investigators revealed the couple’s bold ambition.

“We have a robust plan in place... Celebrate retiring below 35! Not many get this opportunity,” Neha texted Amandeep when colleagues first questioned the unusual volume of work awarded to his firm.

Their actions weren’t impulsive. This was planned, executed, and deeply deceptive.

Caught in the Act – But Not Before the Getaway

When an internal audit flagged irregularities in late 2022, the clock started ticking. Neha abruptly resigned via email—just hours before a scheduled disciplinary meeting. Minutes later, the couple scrambled to remove Amandeep as director of Divine Connection, and even changed the company’s address in a futile attempt to cover their tracks.

By March 2023, the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) raided their properties—but the couple had already:

• Transferred NZ$791,500 to Indian bank accounts

• Liquidated real estate and assets

• Boarded a business-class flight to Chennai with 80 kg of luggage

Their plan to quietly vanish fell apart as law enforcement caught up with them.

“Baby Brain”: A Defense That Sparked Outrage

In court, Neha Sharma shocked many by blaming her decision-making on “baby brain,” a term loosely used to describe cognitive fog in new mothers due to stress or sleep deprivation.

Critics were quick to denounce the claim as insulting and scientifically hollow.

Experts argued that the real victims were the children in state care—many of whom may now go without essential services like therapy, medical care, or psychological support due to missing funds.

Worse, Neha reportedly used the same fake references to land a second job at the New Zealand Transport Agency after resigning from Oranga Tamariki.

The Fallout: Jail, Infants, and International Investigation

• Neha Sharma was sentenced to three years in prison in May 2025.

• Amandeep Sharma has pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing this June.

• Neha is incarcerated in a mother-and-child correctional unit with her newborn.

• Their older child has been sent to India under the care of family.

Meanwhile, authorities in both New Zealand and India are working together to freeze and recover the stolen funds. About NZ$800,000 has been identified in Indian accounts so far.

(Input from various sources)

(Rehash/Sakshi Thakar/MSM)