Assam police made a breakthrough on September 11 by arresting Tarkik Borah’s brother Amlan Borah from Bihar.  GUWAHATI:The Assam police on Thursday (September 12, 2024) detained actor-choreographer Sumi Borah and her photographer husband Tarkik Bora for their alleged involvement in an online stock trading scam estimated to be worth at least ₹2,200 crore.The scam, in operation for almost three years, entailed investing the money collected from clients in “shares” of companies with the promise of almost double the return in 60 days. The money was allegedly invested in some private unlisted companies through ‘cosmetic accounting’, a white-collar crime of manipulating financial reports to align with specific interests.The State police’s Special Task Force (STF) detained the couple in eastern Assam’s Dibrugarh where they surrendered after reportedly hiding in Teok, about 115 km west in the Jorhat district, for about 10 days after a “lookout” notice was issued against the duo, the actor’s brother and her sister-in-law.“The game is up for them. Compliments to the Team STF,” Assam’s Director General of Police, Gyanendra Pratap Singh posted on X.The police made a breakthrough on September 11 by arresting Tarkik Borah’s brother Amlan Borah from Bihar. His arrest is seen as a major development in unravelling the extent of the couple’s alleged involvement in the scam.Hours later, the actor took to social media to announce her decision to surrender. Denying her involvement in the financial fraud, she said she was made a victim of a media trial.“Less than 10% of what is being reported is true. Even before the court has had a chance to prove me guilty, the media has destroyed my life with its allegations,” she said, adding that the mental stress made her lie low and not escape from the law.The scam was busted earlier in September with the arrest of Bishal Phukan, the alleged mastermind who reportedly defrauded more than 1,500 people promising them almost double the returns in 60 days.Some investors claimed they took loans of ₹10-15 lakh from banks to invest in the app floated by 22-year-old Phukan of Dibrugarh and his Guwahati-based associate Swapnanil Das. The online traders initially returned the small invested amounts along with 30-50% interest but stopped after clients, lured by the profit, began investing larger sums.Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma advised the people not to fall into fraudsters’ traps when authorised agencies handle stockbroking through demat accounts.“It is not acceptable for somebody to take away your hard-earned money. You must have seen such fraudsters maintaining a lavish lifestyle. This is the investors’ money,” Mr. Sarma said. Published – September 12, 2024 10:58 am IST