GUWAHATI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), on Saturday, February 1, filed a second supplementary chargesheet against Deepankar Barman, the alleged mastermind behind the multi-crore DB Stock Consultancy scam.
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The CBI had registered the case on October 14, 2024, following a request from the Assam government. This move came after the case was initially filed by Paltan Bazar Police Station on August 21, 2024.
The FIR named Barman, along with key accused Monalisa Das and 7-8 employees of DB Stock Consultancy. The accused were alleged to have defrauded several clients by promising guaranteed returns on investments, issuing Rs 100 stamp papers as proof.
However, since June 2024, payments became irregular, with many clients reporting non-receipt of returns. One complainant claimed to have invested Rs 1 crore, with thousands of others investing collectively in the thousands of crores.
CBI investigations revealed that Barman, in collaboration with co-accused Monalisa Das, Chabin Barman, Deepali Talukdar, and Chartered Accountant Mukesh Agrawal, orchestrated a Ponzi scheme under DB Stock Consultancy. The firm collected deposits from the public through five unregulated schemes, promising high returns. Deposits exceeding Rs 400 crore were solicited from unsuspecting investors.
Chargesheets against Monalisa Das, Chabin Barman, Deepali Talukdar, and Mukesh Agrawal have already been filed, and the accused are currently facing trial. As for this latest chargesheet against Barman, it includes charges under sections 120B, 409, 420, and 477A of the Indian Penal Code, corresponding to the new provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with violations under the Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes (BUDS) Act, 2019.
The chargesheet was submitted before the Special CBI Court in Guwahati within 90 days of Barman's arrest. He remains in judicial custody in connection with the case, while further investigations are underway.
This case is part of a broader investigation where the CBI re-registered 41 cases handed over by the Assam government, consolidating them into 35 FIRs. So far, chargesheets have been filed in 20 cases.
