Assam online trading scam: CBI arrests one more accused

Guwahati, Dec 4 (IANS) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested one more accused in the online trading stock scam on Wednesday.

The arrested person is identified as Mintu Das alias Rohit Chandra Das. Sources said that the accused was involved in the huge stock trading scam that rocked Assam a couple of months ago.

He was taken into custody by the central probe agency from Guwahati.

Mintu Das owns a venture that was used in stock trading. However, it has been alleged that he lured people to invest through his firm on the pretext of much higher returns.

Earlier on Monday, a Court in Assam’s Dibrugarh district rejected the bail plea of controversial Assamese actress Sumi Borah, her husband Tarkik Borah and Bishal Phukan in the multi-crore online stock trading scam.

The key accused in the huge fraud Bishal Phukan and Tarkik Borah got bail from Gauhati High Court in the previous week as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) could not file the chargesheet within 60 days of their arrest.

However, they could not walk out of the jail as several cases were pending against them.

Bishal Phukan allegedly used Sumi Borah’s network in the Assamese movie industry and he was successful in getting a handful of clients.

Bishal used to throw lavish parties for the artists and they were lured by expensive gifts to invest in the online trading business.

To recall, an online trading scam amounting to Rs. 2,200 crores was busted in Assam in September after a kingpin of this fraud, Bishal Phukan was arrested from his Dibrugarh residence.

Sumi Borah and her husband Tarkik Borah, accused in a trading scam, surrendered before the police later.

The state government had handed over the 41 cases related to the online trading scam to the Central Bureau of Investigation.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Assam Police handed over key information regarding the online trading scam to the CBI officials.

–IANS

tdr/dan