Assam: Sumi & Tarkik Borah arrested by STF in online stock trading scam

A Correspondent

DIBRUGARH: The police arrested actor-choreographer Sumi Borah and her photographer husband Tarkik Borah on Thursday for their alleged involvement in an online stock trading scam involving around Rs 2,200 crore. The police produced the duo before the court, which sent them to five days of police custody.

The Special Task Force (STF) of the police detained the couple on their way to Dibrugarh, where they had planned to surrender before the police after being on the run for ten days. 

The duo was brought to the Dibrugarh Police Station at around 9 a.m. on Thursday amid tight security.

Earlier, a lookout notice was issued against the duo, the actor’s brother and her sister-in-law. The police earlier made a breakthrough on September 11 by arresting Tarkik Borah’s brother Amlan Borah from Bihar. 

The scam, in operation for almost three years, involved investment of money collected from clients in “shares” of companies with the promise of almost double the return in 60 days. The money was allegedly invested in some private, unlisted companies. 

“The game is up for them. Compliments to the Team STF,” Assam Director General of Police, Gyanendra Pratap Singh, posted on X.

A day earlier, Sumi Borah took to social media to announce her decision to surrender. Denying her involvement in the financial fraud, she said she had been made a victim by the media.

 “Less than 10% of what is being reported is true. Even before the court has had a chance to prove me guilty, the media has destroyed my life with allegations,” she said, adding that the mental stress made her lie low and not escape from the law.

The scam was busted earlier in September with the arrest of Bishal Phukan, the alleged 22-year-old mastermind from Dibrugarh who reportedly defrauded more than 1,500 people, promising them almost double the returns in 60 days. Some investors claimed they took huge loans from banks or sold their gold jewellery to invest in the fraudulent scheme floated by Bishal Phukan. He initially returned the small invested amounts along with some interest but stopped after clients, lured by the profit, began investing larger sums.

According to the police, Sumi Borah used to lure the investors on behalf of Bishal Phukan by promising them exorbitant returns in a short time. Several businessmen and doctors were among the investors. It is alleged that most of the investors who had invested huge sums that ran into crores have been reluctant to approach the police as they had invested their black money. 

Also Read: Assam: Dibrugarh Police Declares Sumi and Tarkik Borah ‘Most Wanted’ (sentinelassam.com)

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