Rs 3000 cr Online Trading Scam Busted in Assam: 5 Arrested, 2 Including a Female Actor on the Run

People of Assam has been rocked by a series of big ticket online trading scams. Thousands of people including doctors, teachers, people from the low income strata, non-suspecting moms and senior citizens have fallen prey to scammsters who have duped them of crores of rupees over several months. Initial estimates put the number at over Rs 3000 crores.

In just two days, yesterday and today, Assam police have arrested 5 masterminds – Bishal Phukan and Ranjit Kakoti from Dibrugarh, Swapnanil Das from Guwahati, Hemen Rava from Tezpur and Bhaskar Bhushan Baruah from Dergaon.

Another kigpin, Deepankar Barman, is absconding since last month.

Here are the details of the individuals arrested:

Bishal Phukan arrested from Dibrugarh on Tuesday. He is accused of defrauding people of over Rs 2,000 crore. Phukan was taken into custody by Dibrugarh Police on Tuesday. Phukan identifies himself as an industrialist, singer and music composer.

He is accused of buying several luxury cars and property with the money he had fraudulently amassed from his non-suspecting clients. He is said to also own a pharma company, Percelia Pharmaceutical.

Swapnanil Das, hails from Sibsagar, was arrested from Guwahati on Tuesday.
He calls himself an entrepreneur and was the CEO of Trader.Sapnanil, the online trading company he used to cheat people.

He was also running a trading training institute in Guwahati where he was teaching youngsters the skills of trading.

Ranjit Kakoti from Dibrugarh was arrested late yesterday evening in Dibrugarh. He was associated with the online trading company Trading FX and has duped people of several crores of rupees.

Hemen Rava who is accused of swindling over Rs 300 crore, was arrested from Tezpur today. There are multiple FIRs filed against Rava at the Kacharigaon Police Outpost, with victims alleging he used the embezzled funds to purchase luxury car and property.

Bhaskar Bhushan Baruah from Dergaon, who is alleged to have defrauded individuals of Rs 10 crore, was arrested last night.

Deepankar Barman, owner of DB Stock Broking Firm, accused of cheating people of at least Rs 400 crore has been absconding since last month when two ladies complained to Guwahati Police of being cheated of lakhs of rupees by him. Reports suggest, Deepankar fled to Australia. His associate, Monalisa Das was picked up by police.

Another person who is on the run is Sumi Borah, actor, choreographer and influencer who is said to have benefitted from the ill-gotten proceeds of Bishal Phukan. Bishal gave her expensive gifts. Sumi’s lavish destination wedding in Udaipur is also now under the police scanner.

Sumi with her husband, popular photographer Tarkik Borah, were hiding at the residence of popular Assam singer Dikhsu Sarma but managed to flee before police arrived.

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