HT Correspondent
DIBRUGARH, OCT 18: A five-member CBI team arrived in Dibrugarh on Friday as part of their investigation into a multi-crore online trading scam involving Bishal Phukan, actor-choreographer Sumi Borah, Tarkik Borah, and Amlan Borah.
Confirming the CBI team’s arrival, Dibrugarh Superintendent of Police Rakesh Reddy stated, “The necessary files related to the case have been handed over to the CBI team at the Dibrugarh Police Station. We are cooperating fully with them.”
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Until now, the investigation was led by the Dibrugarh police, headed by Additional SP (Crime) Sizal Agarwal.
Highly placed sources indicated that the CBI team will begin interrogating the accused, who are currently lodged at Dibrugarh Central Jail, on Saturday.
On September 3, the mastermind of the scam, 22-year-old Bishal Phukan, was arrested by the Dibrugarh Police after the fraud, estimated to be worth at least Rs 2,200 crore, came to light. Initially, a suo-motu case was registered by the Dibrugarh Police, followed by four FIRs filed by several duped investors against Phukan.
Two of Phukan’s accomplices, actor-choreographer Sumi Borah and her photographer husband, Tarkik Borah, were arrested by the Special Task Force (STF) of Assam police on September 12. A day earlier, on September 11, Sumi Borah’s brother-in-law, Amlan Borah, was arrested from Muzaffarpur district in Bihar in a joint operation by Assam Police and Bihar Police.
The accused have been booked under Section 316(2)/318(4) of the BNS 2023, along with Section 21/23 of the Banning of Unregulated Deposit Scheme Act, 2019.
According to police, the online trading scam reportedly operated over nearly three years, luring clients with promises of nearly doubling their investments within 60 days. Authorities allege that the collected funds were redirected into private unlisted companies, defrauding over 1,500 investors.
Many victims have recounted desperate measures taken to invest, including taking out loans and selling personal belongings. While initial returns were reportedly given to some investors, payments ceased as investments grew, leaving many in financial ruin. According to police, Sumi Borah played a pivotal role in attracting investors, leveraging her public image to establish credibility.
