Odisha Honeytrap Racket: ED Files Chargesheet Against Archana Nag & Others

Bhubaneswar: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed chargesheet in the Odisha honeytrap racket case against lady blackmailer Archana Nag, her husband Jagabandhu Chand and two others in a court in Bhubaneswar on Monday.

The central probe agency filed the 2241-page preliminary chargesheet in the sensational sex and extortion case against Archana, Jagabandhu and their associates Khageswar Patra and Shradhanjali Behera in the district and sessions judge court.

According to reports, all the evidence collected so far including audio and visual records have been appended to the chargesheet filed by the ED, which is probing the financial transactions and money laundering relating to Archana’s sextortion racket.

Archana, accused of blackmailing high-profile and influential people including political leaders, businessmen and filmmakers, has been shown as the main accused in the chargesheet in which Jagabandhu, Khageswar and Shradhanjali have also been named.

Sources said there will be more than 15 witnesses in the honeytrap case which has rocked the state. Those who appeared before the ED and were interrogated in connection with the case will be presented as witnesses.

The premier investigating agency has made the audio and video recordings as per the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), they said.

The ED is investigating the financial transactions of Archana and her husband after it was ascertained that the couple has amassed property worth Rs 30 crore in a span of only four years from 2018. The couple was accused of blackmailing rich and influential persons and earning crores by trapping them in the sex racket.

Khageswar had done many bank transactions amounting to lakhs of rupees with Archana since 2017.

Before filing the chargesheet, officials of the ED had recently visited the lady blackmailer’s residence with valuators to make a valuation of the property amassed by the accused through illegal means.

According to reports, ED officials have interrogated Archana and her husband Jagabandhu to learn about the valuation of their plush bungalow in Bhubaneswar’s Satya Vihar area, the money spent on the rich interior of the building as well as the luxury cars owned by Archana. Failing to elicit satisfactory answers from the accused, the ED officials visited the property to prepare its valuation.