GUWAHATI: Finally, Dipankar Barman, the proprietor of DB Stock & Consultancy, was brought to Guwahati from Goa on Tuesday, October 29 following his arrest by a police team led by Panbazar ACP Amit Mahato near the Arambol Bridge in Goa.
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Barman, a key suspect in a multi-state fraud case, had been on a three-day transit remand and is currently held at Panbazar Police Station. He is expected to be produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate’s court on Wednesday.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and police from six other states are likely to seek his custody, as he reportedly lured numerous investors from across regions with promises of high returns through his investment schemes. The UDS Act provisions will be instrumental in this case, as DGP GP Singh mentioned that assets seized from accused parties can be liquidated to compensate verified investors, potentially offering some recourse to those impacted by Barman's schemes.
The city police have registered a new case (No. 374/2024) at the Paltanbazar Police Station against Dipankar Barman, following his involvement in a large-scale online trading scam that has impacted investors across several states, including Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Andhra Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, and Telangana.
The first case against him was initially registered on August 22 under Case No. 288/2024 at Paltanbazar Police Station under the Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes (UDS) Act, 2019, but was later transferred to the CBI on October 15.
Barman allegedly used DB Stock & Consultancy to lure significant investments by promising high returns. Multiple FIRs have been filed against him across various states, and law enforcement agencies from these regions are preparing to seek custody to deepen the investigation into the fraudulent activities affecting numerous victims. His arrest and subsequent custody are expected to unravel further details of the scam and provide relief to affected investors through asset liquidation provisions under the UDS Act.
DGP GP Singh said the people who invested in the DB Stock & Consultancy would be returned a portion of their money from the liquidation of assets after investigation.
Referring to the ongoing investigation under the Unlawful Deposits Schemes (UDS) Act, Assam DGP GP Singh said that there are provisions in the Act to compensate investors using assets seized from the accused.
“For those who can prove their investments, they will be compensated from the assets seized. The UDS Act provides for forming a committee to liquidate the assets where the accused invested, with funds then allocated for investor compensation. However, this process only begins after a thorough investigation," Singh told the media on Tuesday.
DGP Singh elaborated that during Assam Police's investigation, numerous assets were seized, and the CBI is now continuing the probe, further aiding in asset tracking and seizure.
The DGP expressed confidence that within a few months, some portion of the lost funds could be returned to investors based on investigative progress.
"Everyone leaves a footprint," Singh added, noting that cooperation with the CBI has been crucial in locating key figures in the case and ensuring that absconding suspects will soon be apprehended.
