Bhubaneswar: Stepping up its probe in Archana Nag’s honeytrap case, Enforcement Directorate (ED) sleuths on Friday visited the State Forensic Science Laboratory (SFSL) and Khandagiri police station in Odisha capital to collect ‘vital’ information about the sextortion racket.
A three-member team of the central agency including the investigating officer in the case reportedly visited Khandagi police station in connection with its probe into Archana’s sensational sex and extortion racket, which rocked the state.
The ED sleuths, probing the financial transactions in the racket, were stated to have collected some important documents regarding the case from the police. The is also reported to have collected two diaries of the honeytrap kingpin Archana. These are likely to throw light on the blackmailing racket and the money trail, sources said.
Similarly, central probe agency team also visited the SFSL in order to collect some ‘vital’ materials relating to the case. The team members reportedly obtained certain important records, digital documents and content of the seized devices relating to the sex scandal.
The ED’s fresh move came around a week after a court in Bhubaneswar directed the SFSL and Bhubaneswar police to share the reports on the content of the seized devices with the ED for its probe into money laundering case relating to the scandal.
The ED has registered a money laundering case against Archana, her husband Jagabandhu Chand and two other associates. The central agency had requested the city police to hand them over the seized devices of the couple, but they were unable get the possession of the devices seized by the police, according to sources.
The ED had requested the court to get the copy of the certified reports of the couple’s devices which were examined by the SFSL. The agency had even requested the court to get the copy of the working paper prepared by the police regarding the seizure and the content of the devices.
Having taken both Archana and Jagabandhu on remand, the ED is reported to be grilling the couple together since Wednesday in connection with the proceeds of the alleged honeytrap racket at the agency’s office in Bhubaneswar.
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.
