Gauhati University student arrested for allegedly running 'flood donation' scam on social media

Guwahati: Dipjyoti Gogoi, a student from the Gauhati University has landed in the proverbial soup after fraudulently attempting to cheat people out of their hard-earned money through social media, police said. The lad, who hails from Sivasagar in Upper Assam, has reportedly been arrested for "fraud."

Gogoi, who runs a Facebook page, had reportedly posted a link routing to a bank that was supposed to help the flood-affected victims of Assam. What makes this all the more shocking is that he allegedly did this in the name of the Assam Government!

The student was picked up the Sivasagar Police for allegedly cheating and dishonestly delivery of property under the IPC sections 420, 419 (punishment for cheating by personation), and Section 66A of the Information Technology Act. Gogoi, who is a second-semester student at the Gauhati University, was subsequently handed over to Guwahati Police for further course of action.

"This particular youth GU student was arrested in Sivasagar and brought to Guwahati city on Monday evening. He had posted the link to a bank account and made it seem like it was connected to the Government. He had written that the Government does not have enough money to resolve the flood problem and asked for donations. It is a fraudulent act to cheat and thus, this youth has been arrested. He is currently in Court custody", Munna Prasad Gupta, the Guwahati Police Commissioner, told The Sentinel Digital.

This shocking incident has come to the fore at a time when Assam is reeling under floods, prompting many genuine efforts to raise money for flood relief efforts. Online personalities like Dimpu Baruah, Ajey Nagar, and Abhineet Mishra, who have raised donations for the flood-affected victims by urging fans to spare a buck.

The flood situation has remained critical in Assam as on Monday, as 24 lakh people across 24 districts were affected by floods. One more death was reported yesterday when a person from Sonapur near Guwahati succumbed to death after drowning.

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