₹400 Crore DB Stock Scam: CBI Arrests Ex-Axis Bank Manager, Agent For Duping 10,000 Investors

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Sunday arrested two individuals, Pushpajit Purkayastha and Sandeep Gupta, at Guwahati, following investigation that revealed their alleged involvement in the M/s DB Stock Consultancy scam operated in Guwahati by accused mastermind Deepankar Barman.

Deepankar Barman, owner of DB Stock is accused of cheating and defrauding over 10,000 people across the country including Mumbai, of more than Rs 400 crores, by luring them to invest in a fraudulent unregulated deposit scheme with false assurances of fixed high returns and subsequently defaulting on these deposits, agency officials said.

According to the CBI, the accused Pushpajit Purkayastha, the former Branch Manager of Axis Bank's Rehabari Branch in Guwahati, was found to have colluded with DB Stock Consultancy to solicit deposits from the public with false promises of high returns.

"The investigation revealed that he in conspiracy with mastermind Deepankar Barman, lured bank customers and other investors to invest in the scheme through the misleading promises of handsome and guaranteed returns. He made huge illegal gains in the form of commission, for bringing innocent investors into the fold of the fraudulent scheme. Pushpajit managed clients and investors based in Mumbai and Guwahati, abusing his position to facilitate these fraudulent activities," said a CBI official.

"Accused Sandeep Gupta, the main agent and aggregator for DB Stock Consultancy, was found to have conspired with accused mastermind Deepankar Barman and others accomplices, in operation of DB Stock, an illegal deposit scheme. He handled clients and investors from Dibrugarh, referring over 350 customers and soliciting funds from them with false promises of high returns. The investigation revealed that he earned lakhs of rupees as commission from DB Stock Consultancy for the referrals and deposits collected through his network," the official said.

The CBI has already filed a chargesheet against the main accused of the scam, Deepankar Barman, along with his fiancé Monalisha Das, his parents Chabin Barman and Deepali Barman, and Mukesh Agarwal, a Chartered Accountant.

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