Odisha Honeytrap Racket: ED Allowed To Take Archana-Jagabandhu On Remand For Grilling

Bhubaneswar: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) was on Tuesday allowed to take Odisha honeytrap scandal kingpin Archana Nag and her husband Jagabandhu Chand on remand for questioning regarding proceeds of the sextortion racket.

While the court in Bhubaneswar granted permission to the ED to take Archana on remand for six more days from Tuesday, the central investigating agency was allowed to take Jagabandhu on nine-day remand from Wednesday.

Both Archana, accused of blackmailing influential people while running a sex racket, and Jagabandhu were produced before the court earlier in the day.

The ED also arrested Archana under Section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act after producing her in the court following completion of 7-day remand.

The ED had sought 15-day remand of Jagabandhu and custody of Archana for another seven days to elicit information about financial transactions in the racket. They are likely to be grilled together.

The premier probe agency is probing the proceeds of the crime and had earlier arrested one of Archana’s associates, Khageswar Patra, in this connection.

Archana was earlier arrested on October 6 by Khandagiri Police and had since been languishing in Jharpada Special Jail before being taken by ED on remand for questioning in the case.

According to reports, the agency failed to elicit any credible information from her as she kept mum throughout the seven days. This despite the fact that Archana had told media that she would fully cooperate with the ED and give ‘earth-shattering leads to the investigators’.

The couple is accused of amassing over Rs 30 crore by blackmailing high-profile people, including politicians, businessmen and filmmakers using sexually explicit videos. The ED has so far traced Rs 2.5 crore deposited in the accounts of Archana and Jagabandhu between 2017 and 2022.

Meanwhile, Jgabandhu 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.