The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has started investigating the fraudulent financial transactions or trading fraud cases that have rocked Assam in recent months.

The investigating agency has been handed over 41 cases registered with police stations across Assam for “unregulated deposits involving fraudulent transactions and trading of large sums of money”.

The Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions had on October 11 notified handing over the investigation of these cases to the CBI with Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma assuring all cooperation to the investigating agency.

Sources said the CBI has launched its probe with the high-profile cases related to DB Stock Broking in Guwahati and the ones linked to social media influencer Sumi Bora in Dibrugarh. These scams reportedly run into crores of rupees.

The key accused in the DB Stock Broking case, Dipankar Barman, is absconding after the scam was unearthed in August. Sumi Borah and co-accused Bishal Phukan in one of the Dubrugarh cases are in judicial custody.

Sources said CBI sleuths met duped investors in Guwahati on Friday while a team is camping in Dibrugarh to question both victims
and suspects.

A common thread running through most of those allegedly involved in the scams is that they were young, educated, amiable and had a flamboyant lifestyle, making it easier for them to impress investors. They had lured clients with very high returns on investment.

The scams started coming to light after they started defaulting on making payments.

Multiple FIRs have been registered in connection with these cases under the Banning of Unregulated Deposit Scheme Act, 2019, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860; the Prize Chit and Money Circulation Schemes (Banning) Act, 1978, and the Assam Protection of Interest of Depositors (In Financial Establishments) Act, 2013.

The Assam police had also done substantial work, arresting around 65 persons in connection with these cases. It had also set up 14 Special Investigation Teams (SITs) under the supervision of the Assam Crime Investigation Department (CID) to probe the cases.

The Assam cabinet had approved the handing over of 32 cases to the CBI in September following chief minister Sarma’s meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the scams but the number of cases rose with regular unearthing of the scams.