Assam’s law enforcement agencies have launched an extensive crackdown on unregulated trading and investment scams spanning 14 districts, resulting in the arrest of 59 individuals and the registration of 28 cases under the Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Act, 2019, and relevant sections of the Bhartiya Nyaya Samhita (BNS). The Director General of Police (DGP) GP Singh announced these developments on social media, revealing that 14 Special Investigation Teams (SITs) have been constituted to investigate the cases.
“These SITs will report to the Supervision & Monitoring group at Assam CID headquarters under ADGP and IGP CID,” Singh stated.
Additionally, 22 Look Out Circulars (LOCs) have been issued for individuals who ignored police summons, intensifying the state’s battle against fraudulent activities. The move follows the arrest of a Crime Investigation Department (CID) official linked to the scams.
On Saturday, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced the creation of a new SIT, with the CID taking on high-profile cases and district police handling smaller ones. The Income Tax Department and the Enforcement Directorate have also been tasked to ensure a thorough investigation.
“If the case proves too complex after two months, we will consider transferring it to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI),” Sarma noted, underscoring the severity of the issues at hand.
Police are actively interrogating detained suspects, with several high-profile individuals, including key figure Bishal Phukan, emerging during questioning. Further, reports suggest that several prominent doctors from Dibrugarh have been identified as investors in the fraudulent schemes, as revealed by Phukan.
This multi-faceted crackdown by Assam’s law enforcement agencies highlights the intricate network of scams and the state’s commitment to uprooting financial fraud.
