AT Photo: Sumi Borah and Tarkik Borah
Guwahati, Sept 12: After 10 days of playing cat-and-mouse, unregulated trading scam accused Sumi Borah and her husband, Tarkik, finally landed in Dibrugarh Police’s custody on the intervening night of Wednesday.
The arrest, however, wasn’t without drama, as both were picked up by the Special Task Force (STF) while on their way to surrender.
Reports suggest that the couple arrived at Dibrugarh Gymkhana Club at around 4 am with the STF personnel. They were reportedly allotted Room No 21 and 24 in the first floor of the club. Later, the accused were handed over to Dibrugarh police along with some incriminating documents that were seized from their possession.
“The STF handed them over to us, and while we cannot provide a detailed statement at this point, we are launching a thorough investigation,” said Dibrugarh SP, VV Rakesh Reddy.
Meanwhile, Assam DGP GP Singh praised the STF for their success and took to social media to congratulate the police. “The game is up for them. Compliments to Team STF,” the DGP wrote on a micro-blogging site.
Now that the 10-day chase has ended, here is the timeline of events leading up to Sumi and Tarkik’s surrender and subsequent arrest on Thursday...
Sequence of events before the arrest:
September 2: Bishal Phukan, 22, was arrested by Dibrugarh Police after a four-hour interrogation for allegedly defrauding investors of ₹2,200 crore by promising a 30% return within 60 days. His arrest led the police to suspect his self-proclaimed sister and influencer Sumi Borah as an accomplice. Meanwhile, Sumi and Tarkik Borah went into hiding.
September 3: Reports emerged that Sumi and Tarkik sought refuge at the residence of Assamese singer Dikshu Sarma. Sarma confirmed the news, stating, “I asked them to leave and cooperate with the police.”
September 4: Police received information suggesting the couple was hiding in Meghalaya, prompting a manhunt with assistance from Meghalaya police. Extensive search operations were conducted in Cherrapunji, where they were believed to be in hiding; couldn’t trace them.
September 9: The investigation led to reports of the couple in Nepal. A police team was scheduled to visit Nepal to conduct a search operation. The Assam Tribune cannot confirm if the police team visited Nepal.
September 10: The investigation intensified as police detained two youth - Chandan Nath and Shubhanjyoti Kurmi - in Bokakhat for allegedly helping the couple evade capture. The couple was reportedly staying at Shubhanjyoti’s residence, with Chandan accused of assisting them.
September 11: Amlan Borah, Tarkik’s brother, was arrested in Bihar for allegedly aiding the couple’s evasion. Following his arrest, Sumi released a video stating her intention to surrender and cooperate with the police, claiming, “90% of the media reports are untrue.”
September 12: Special Task Force picks up Sumi and Tarkik in Dibrugarh on their way to surrender to police; hands it over to Dibrugarh Police, probe begins.
