Guwahati: In a major breakthrough, Guwahati Police, in coordination with the Crime Branch of Goa Police, arrested Dipankar Barman, the primary accused in the Assam multi-crore online trading scam, on Sunday evening in north Goa.
Barman, who had been evading arrest and on the run for over two months, was apprehended by a team from Central Guwahati Police District (CGPD), led by Assistant Commissioner of Police (Panbazar) Amit Mahato.
“Absconding accused Dipankar Barman of the DB Stock scam has been arrested in Goa by a CGPD team under ACP Pan Bazar Amit Mahato, with support from the Crime Branch of Goa Police, in connection with an ongoing investigation,” Guwahati Police confirmed.
Barman, the owner of DB Stock Broking, is implicated in a scam estimated at around Rs 7,000 crore. Following his arrest, officials seized over Rs 27 lakh in cash, his passport, and gold jewellery. The accused was produced before a court in Goa, with Guwahati Police set to request a transit remand to bring him to Guwahati for further investigation.
Lauding the police team for their successful operation, Assam DGP Gyanendra Pratap Singh took to social media, stating: “Finally, Dipankar Barman was arrested in Goa. The run ends. Congratulations Team Guwahati Police.” He further detailed that Rs 27,06,750 in cash was seized from Barman in Goa.
According to police sources, Barman had been absconding since August 18, after allegedly defrauding investors who had put their money into DB Stock Broking with the promise of significant returns. The multi-crore scam surfaced after numerous investors reported that the promised returns failed to materialize.
Addressing the media on Monday, Guwahati Commissioner of Police Diganta Barah said that a case was initially registered at Paltan Bazar in August. “Five individuals have been arrested in connection with the case. However, Barman had been absconding since August 18. A technical analysis conducted by our team eventually traced him to Goa. Information gathered on Saturday led us to deploy a city police team to Goa, and they arrested Barman from an area under Pernem police station on Sunday evening,” Barah said.
The Commissioner further disclosed that Barman was located in an isolated homestay far from Goa’s town centers.
“Our team’s technical analysis indicated that Barman had frequently changed his accommodations, staying in various guest houses and homestays throughout his time in Goa. With critical information on his money transfers and support from Goa’s Crime Branch, we were able to arrest him on Sunday evening,” he explained.
The Commissioner noted that legal formalities are underway to secure Barman’s custody, as he was arrested outside Assam. The Guwahati police team is expected to secure a transit remand soon to bring him back.
The case has drawn significant attention, and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is investigating 41 registered cases linked to the multi-crore online trading scam in Assam.
Earlier this month, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma confirmed that to ensure a thorough investigation, the state government had requested the Centre to transfer all 41 cases to the CBI. The chief minister assured that the Assam government would extend full cooperation to expedite justice for the victims.
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