Archana Nag case: ED may tighten noose around high-profile people for involvement in sextortion 

More and more skeletons are tumbling out of the closet of Nag-Chand couple (Archana Nag and Jagabandhu Chand) with each passing day. 

According to sources close to the ED, a team will soon leave for Delhi and subsequently for Kolkata. The financial watchdog is learnt to intensify its investigation from Monday. The officials will decide their future course of action on the basis of inputs they will receive from Delhi head office and Kolkata zone office.  

It indicates that it has leads regarding involvement of some influential and high-profile people in the case. 

Meanwhile, the ED officials are trying to solve the mystery surrounding the financial transactions amounting to Rs 37 lakh taken place between Khageswar Patra and Nag-Chand couple. Patra was an associate of Jagabandhu Chand. 

As per the petition submitted by the ED at the court while seeking Khageswar’s remand for the second time, an amount of Rs 4,59,020 was transferred from the bank account of Supreme Automobiles, which was owned by Khageswar, to Archana’s bank account. Later, Rs 22,60,225 was again transferred from the former’s bank account to the latter’s bank account. 

Similarly, an amount of Rs 3 lakh was transferred from Jagabandhu Chand’s account to Supreme Automobile’s bank account. 

Moreover, Archana had personally deposited Rs 5 lakh in Khageswar’s bank account. Thereafter, Khageswar had again transferred Rs 1,90,000 to Jagabandhu’s account. 

Chartered accountant Rajib Das said the criminal angle in the transactions can’t be ruled out. “There is criminality in the transactions. The money transacted may be proceeds from crime. If it is proved, the ED will book those involved,” maintained Das.   

On the other hand, businessman and Dhenkanal’s BJD MLA Sudhir Samal’s brother Gangadhara Samal has come into the scene for an alleged sizeable money transaction between him and Nag. He appeared before the ED on Thursday. 

“She (Archana Nag) had booked for a Velar van in 2020. Its cost is Rs 83 lakh. She had given Rs 35 lakh towards booking amount and Rs 11 lakh for choice number. All the transactions were carried out through cheques and bank,” said Samal. 

Taking Nag-Chand couple in remand is believed to help the ED solve the mystery surrounding the financial transactions. 

(Reported by Rajashree Satapathy, Alok Mohanty, OTV)