Online stock trading scam accused attacked in Assam jail

Guwahati, Oct 9 (PTI) The prime accused in the Rs 7,000-crore online stock trading scam Dipankar Barman has been attacked inside the Guwahati Central Jail and admitted to a hospital here, officials said on Thursday.

Doctors attending on the accused said that the patient was stable and the injuries had been taken care of.

Barman's mother Deepti Talukdar Barman complained that her son was attacked with a bamboo stick during the evening roll call on Tuesday by another accused.

She said the stick narrowly missed her son's eyes but he received injuries on his nose.

She alleged that though he was attacked on Tuesday but he was brought to the hospital only on Thursday.

Jail officials said that he was brought to the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital after he complained of discomfort.

The online trading scam in the state came to light during last week of August in 2024 when investors, who had put in huge amounts of money in 29-year-old Deepankar Barman's company, who was arrested from Goa in October, complained that he had not paid them the due returns and his office has been closed since August 21.

Over 65 people have been arrested in connection with the scam so far and 14 Special Investigation Teams were set up to investigate the cases registered across districts under the Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Act, 2019, besides the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The online trading scam in the state came to light last year when investors, who had put in huge amounts of money in the 29-year-old man's company, complained that he had not paid them the due returns and his office had been closed since August 21. He was arrested in Goa in October.

The Assam Cabinet had decided in September last year to transfer 32 cases registered till then in connection with the online trading scam to the CBI for investigation. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma later said that the central agency has officially taken over 41 cases of online stock trading scam registered across the state.

Over 65 people have been arrested in this connection so far and 14 Special Investigation Teams were set up to probe into the cases registered across districts under the Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Act, 2019, besides the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. PTI DG NN