Staff Reporter/Agencies
Guwahati: Assam Police have intensified their operation against fraudsters involved in an online trading scam said to be worth Rs 2,200 crore. One after another of the scamsters have fallen in the hands of the police after the arrest of one of the main accused, 22-year-old Vishal Phukan, a resident of Dibrugarh. So far, 38 people have been arrested in the scam.
On the heels of Vishal’s arrest, Swapnil Das, who ran “Trading For A Living” to impart training on trading, was arrested in Guwahati on Tuesday.
In the meantime, Assamese choreographer and actress Sumi Borah, who is also reportedly connected to Phukan’s network, is now absconding, along with her photographer husband, Tarkik Bora. Sumi Bora is said to be leading the police on a wild goose chase by repeatedly switching her phone on and off, providing different locations.
Facts related to the property amassed by the couple have come into the limelight. Also that Vishal Phukan had reportedly spent crores of rupees on Sumi Borah’s wedding in Rajasthan’s Udaipur, flying the guests to the venue on chartered flights from Guwahati, sources said.
Guwahati Police are also examining Sumi’s call history in a bid to establish her connection to Phukan and his trading scam.
After the arrest of Phukan on Monday, Sumi’s phone was switched off, and the police were trying to locate her whereabouts. However, it was revealed that Sumi had spent a large part of Tuesday in the house of noted singer Dikshu. The singer himself revealed this fact before the media on Wednesday. Sumi was accompanied by her husband Tarkik, and they were in the singer’s house from 1.00 pm to 9 pm, after which they departed, according to Dikshu.
After this revelation before the media, a team of Noonmati police went to the house of Dikshu to question him and his wife. The singer has also assured the police of his full cooperation.
If Sumi is taken into custody, new details about the scam are expected to emerge, the police believe.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Wednesday that at least 38 people have been arrested in connection with the Rs 2,200 crore online trading scam.
Talking to reporters, CM Sarma said, “Police have arrested 38 persons who were involved in the online trading scam. The investigation is on. Further details will be unearthed very soon. However, I want to appeal to citizens that they should not fall into the trap of fraudsters. Nobody on this earth can give anybody 25 or 30 percent through trading.”
“I hope the general public saw in TV footage that the fraudsters lived a king-size life with public money. I urge every citizen not to waste your hard-earned money,” the Chief Minister said.
The Assam Police uncovered the large financial scam involving brokers who made false online stock market investments by promising to double people’s money, officials said on Wednesday.
According to the police, Phukan used his lavish lifestyle to entice people and assured his investors a 30 percent return on their money within 60 days. In addition to investing in Assamese cinema, he had established four fictitious businesses and bought other houses.
Meanwhile, both Phukan and Das were produced in court on Wednesday, and police sought their custody for seven days. The court, however, gave three days’ custody of Phukan and two days’ custody of Das to the police.
Also read: 2 Arrested for Opening Fraudulent Bank Accounts in Cybercrime Network Bust (sentinelassam.com)
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