Bhubaneswar: The Sub-divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM) court in Bhubaneswar on Monday rejected the bail application of Archana Nag, who was arrested on October 6 on charges of honey-trapping several influential people and extorting money from them.
The court had reserved its verdict after concluding the hearing in her fresh petition for bail on October 14 when she appeared via video conferencing from Jharpada Special Jail here. Archana reportedly broke down during the hearing when the counsel of the state government opposed her bail stating that sections under which she has been booked are punishable and the racket involves high-profile people.
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According to reports, Archana’s lawyer pushed for her bail arguing that several sections, especially 354 (assaults or uses criminal force to any woman, intending to outrage or knowing it to be likely that he will thereby outrage her modesty), were not applicable to her. He further claimed that she was a victim of political controversy.
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Archana is said to have acquired properties worth Rs 30 crore in a span of only four years from 2018 to 2022 by allegedly extorting money from rich and influential people such as politicians, businessmen and film producers with threats of making photos and videos of their intimate moments public. Hailing from a middle-class family in Kalahandi district, the 26-year-old now owns a palatial house with imported interior decorations, luxury cars, four high-breed dogs and a white horse.
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At least two ministers, including one from western Odisha, a senior BJP leader also from western Odisha, a former MLA, a veteran BJD leader, and some bureaucrats allegedly fell victim to the racket.
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In his FIR, filmmaker Akhyay Parija mentioned that Archana identified herself as a lawyer and blackmailed him saying that she had obscene videos of him with her client. “Archana struck a deal with me at a city-based posh hotel and demanded Rs 3 crore from me. She threatened to kill me by cutting me into pieces if I did not oblige,” he alleged.
Parija filed the complaint with Nayapalli police after a woman accused him of casting couch.
Reports further said that Commissionerate Police may seek the SDJM court’s permission to quiz her inside Jharpada Special Jail due to security reasons.
