The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a second supplementary chargesheet against Deepankar Barman, the alleged mastermind behind the DB Stock Consultancy scam, before the Special CBI Court in Guwahati. The chargesheet was filed within 90 days of Barman’s arrest, and he remains in judicial custody.
The case was initially registered by Paltan Bazar Police Station, Guwahati, on August 21, 2024, before being handed over to the CBI on October 14, 2024, at the request of the Assam government. The scam, orchestrated through M/s. DB Stock Consultancy, involved fraudulent collection of funds from investors under false promises of guaranteed returns.
CBI investigations revealed that Deepankar Barman, in collusion with key associates including Monalisha Das, Chabin Barman, Deepali Talukdar, and Mukesh Agrawal (CA), operated a Ponzi scheme that amassed deposits exceeding ₹400 crore from unsuspecting investors. The firm floated five unregulated deposit schemes, enticing the public with promises of high returns. However, irregularities surfaced in June 2024, with many clients reporting unpaid dues. A complainant alleged he invested ₹1 crore, while thousands of investors collectively lost thousands of crores as the accused fled with the funds.
Legal Proceedings and Charges:
The CBI has charged Barman under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes (BUDS) Act, 2019, including:
- 120B IPC (Criminal Conspiracy)
- 409 IPC (Criminal Breach of Trust by Public Servant, Banker, Merchant, or Agent)
- 420 IPC (Cheating and Dishonest Inducement of Delivery of Property)
- 477A IPC (Falsification of Accounts)
- Sections 21(1), 21(2), 21(3), 23 of the BUDS Act, 2019
CBI has already filed chargesheets against four accused—Monalisha Das, Chabin Barman, Deepali Talukdar, and Mukesh Agrawal—who are currently facing trial.
Wider Crackdown on Financial Frauds
In a broader crackdown, CBI has re-registered 41 cases transferred by the Assam government, consolidating them into 35 FIRs against different accused. So far, chargesheets have been filed in 20 cases, including high-profile scams involving Ranjit Kakoty (TradingFX), Bishal Phukan and Sumi Bora (Percelia Consultancy), Deepankar Barman (DB Stock Consultancy), and Gopal Paul (AJRS Marketing).
Further investigations are ongoing.
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