Odisha Honeytrap Kingpin Archana & Hubby To Be Produced In Court Today; What’s Next?

Bhubaneswar: After completion of the 7-day remand period, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday is likely to seek further custody of Archana Nag for questioning in connection with proceeds of the sextortion racket which rocked Odisha.

If sources are to be believed Archana, who had dropped a bombshell claiming she had evidence against a lot of people and would disclose details at an appropriate time, has not been cooperating with the agency in the probe.

The ED may also seek remand of her husband Jagabandhu Chand, who will also be produced in court following the agency’s production notice.

Having failed to elicit details from Archana, the agency is planning to question them together to extract information regarding financial transactions in the blackmailing racket, sources added.

On the other hand, Jagabandhu has moved Orissa High Court seeking bail in connection with the sex and extortion case, involving Archana’s aide Shradhanjali Behera. The ADJ court-2 in Bhubaneswar had rejected his bail plea on December 1.

The central probe agency, which had registered a case against Archana, Jagabandhu and associates Shradhanjali Behera and Khageswar Patra under Prevention of Money Laundering Act, has so far grilled around ten people in connection with the honeytrap case.

The ED has also traced Rs 2.5 crore deposited in the accounts of Archana and Jagabandhu between 2017 and 2022.

The couple is accused of amassing over Rs 30 crore by blackmailing high-profile people, including politicians, businessmen and filmmakers using sexually explicit videos.