Bhubaneswar: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday arrested honeytrap kingpin Archana Nag’s husband Jagabandhu Chand on money laundering charges.
It had earlier arrested Archana and their associate Khageswar Patra in connection with the case registered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The ED is likely to take Jagabandhu on remand for the second time for interrogation. A few days back, the agency interrogated Archana, Jagabandhu and her associate Shraddhanjali Behera face-to-face and reportedly received vital clues. The sleuths said that while Archana did not cooperate with them, Shraddhanjali was more forthcoming.
Initially, the couple was arrested by Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Commissionerate Police on basis of a complaint filed by Shraddhanjali at Khandagiri police station. They are accused of blackmailing influential people while running a sex racket.
The ED is probing the proceeds of the crime.
Archana and her husband allegedly accumulated assets worth crores of rupees in the past four years by extorting money from influential persons through blackmail and honeytrap. The ED has so far traced Rs 2.5 crore deposited in their accounts between 2017 and 2022.
