Mainao Brahma, a woman from Assam’s Baksa district accused of amassing nearly Rs 100 crore through a fraudulent trading scheme, was arrested at Guwahati airport on Thursday morning.

Sources revealed that Brahma had been hiding in New Delhi after the scam surfaced, and she was apprehended upon her arrival at Guwahati airport based on a directive from Borjhar Officer-in-Charge Sanjeev Handique.

The scam surfaced after several victims lodged complaints, accusing Brahma of deceiving them into investing large sums of money with the promise of regular returns. The victims, mostly unsuspecting villagers, claimed they deposited cash with Brahma, who allegedly assured them that the funds would be used for trading, promising modest monthly returns.

A victim shared, "She gave us false hope. We believed in her scheme and deposited our money, expecting monthly payouts." Many villagers had invested lakhs of rupees, with some even receiving blank cheques as a gesture of trust from the accused. Brahma, a resident of Chanbarikhuti village, had reportedly started her trading business around seven to eight years ago from humble beginnings. However, over time, she is alleged to have accumulated significant wealth.

"She had nothing when she started, but now the amount is estimated to be close to Rs 100 crore," another victim said.

The villagers also claimed that Brahma and her husband, Samin Swargiary, who has no known source of income, have been purchasing luxury cars, land, and other assets. They now own vehicles like a Fortuner and a Scorpio, along with several plots, under-construction houses, and tractors.

When the investors demanded their money back, Brahma allegedly cited business losses and refused to return the funds, disappearing shortly after. Her husband is also suspected of being involved in the scam.

Though some victims had initially accepted their losses, the growing number of similar financial frauds across Assam prompted them to file an official complaint with Mushalpur police.