Dipankar Barman, the main suspect in online trading scam, arrested from a homestay in Goa | Latest news India

GUWAHATIDipankar Barman, promoter of an online trading company accused of duping investors of millions of rupees in Assam and several other states, was arrested from a homestay in north Goa after painstaking investigation into the case, a top police officer of Assam said on Monday.

Guwahati Police Commissioner Diganta Barah said the 29-year-old, who had managed to evade police for over two months, was arrested on Sunday and taken to Assam.

“Following complaints from some investors against Barman and his company DB Trading and Consultancy, we filed the first case of online trading scam on August 22. But news of the company’s dubious methods had already appeared in the media and Barman fled Assam for two days. previously on August 18,” Barah said.

The suspect stopped using his phone and all social media and payment apps from August 21, making it difficult for police to track him. But five others: Barman’s parents, his two girlfriends and his chartered accountant. were arrested and interrogated in Guwahati.

‘Later we got indications that he could be in Goa. A police team was sent there and stayed there for two weeks. We have also approached the crime branch of Goa police and sought their help in tracking down Barman. We finally found out his exact location on Saturday and were able to capture him the next day,” Barah said.

The officer said Barman often changed hotels and rarely stayed in one place for more than three to four nights. At the time of his arrest, he was staying with a host family in a remote location.

Cash more than worth it ₹27 lakhs, some gold ornaments and a passport were found in Barman’s possession.

On Monday, Barman was produced before a court in Goa’s Pernem, which granted three days’ transit remand to the Assam police to take Barman to Guwahati. He is likely to reach Assam on Tuesday.

“A proper interrogation of the suspect will take place after he reaches Guwahati. As cases have been filed against Barman and his firm in several other states and also in the CBI, he will be handed over to those agencies in the coming days for further investigation,” Barah said.

The entire scam, which involved several individuals operating individually in Assam by promising huge returns on money invested in online stock trading, was spotted in August after Barman went missing after collecting an estimated amount of money. ₹7,000 crores from investors.

Assam police registered 32 cases and arrested at least 60 people before handing over the case to the CBI in September.