More artists from Assamese movie industry to come under scanner in trading scam

Following the alleged involvement of controversial actress and choreographer Sumi Borah in the multi crore online trading fraud, more people from the Assamese movie industry are set to come under the scanner of the investigating team, an official said on Monday.

The Assam government has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the case while the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Income Tax (IT) Department will look after the overall probe.

Borah, who is on the run, hails from Dibrugarh and started her career as a dancer. She acted in a few Assamese movies and also did choreography.

She was well connected with many people in the Assamese movie industry and the actress allegedly used her connections to get clients for investment in the prime accused Bishal Phukan's company for promised higher returns through online trading.

According to police, Phukan used to throw lavish parties in Guwahati for people from the Assamese movie industry in top hotels in the city.

The invitees were lured through expensive gifts by the fraudster.

Later, Borah convinced artists in the Assamese movie industry to invest in Phukan's company, police said, adding that the scamster got a lot of investment through her network.

Sumi Borah married photographer Tarkik Borah in the previous year at a destination wedding in Rajasthan's Udaipur city. People from the Assamese movie industry were flown to Udaipur and the expenses were taken care of by Bishal Phukan.

He reportedly spent at least Rs 5 crore for Sumi Borah's extravagant wedding.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that actors, actresses and other people from the Assamese movie industry would face action if police found their involvement in the online trading scam.

"Nobody will be spared if found guilty in this trading scam. Actress Sumi Borah will also have to surrender because nobody can hide from police for a long time," he added.

To recall, after the arrest of Bishal Phukan, Sumi Borah immediately came under the scanner of the police.

Police went to her apartment in Pathar Quarry area in Guwahati; however, the actress and her husband were not at home.

Police searched every apartment in the society complex but there was no trace of the duo.

"We found Sumi Borah's luxury car in the basement of the apartment; however, the couple fled before the investigation team reached there," a police official had said.

(With inputs from IANS)