Rashmi Rekha Das

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) continues to dig deeper into the high-profile blackmailing case involving Archana Nag and is planning to grill the mastermind and her husband Jagabandhu Chand face-to-face.

According to sources close to ED, the central agency is planning to take the couple (Jagabandhu and Archana) on remand who is the prime accused in the honey trap case and interrogate them face-to-face. 

Notably, the ED had sought a 15-day remand of Nag to dig deeper into the case. The court while allowing the investigating agency to take Nag on remand has directed it to produce her on December 13.

Before going on a seven-day remand, Archana had said that she was waiting for ED and would fully cooperate in the probe. But she did not keep her word. She reportedly kept mum during interrogation. It is being said she is being pressurized not to reveal anything before the police. 

As Archana’s remand came to end on Monday, the ED sleuths have planned to take remand of both husband and wife again and grill them simultaneously to extract vital information regarding the case. 

It is pertinent to mention here Archana had leveled serious allegations against the police alleging that she was subjected to mental harassment for straight 60 hours at the Balianta police station. Having said this, she had revealed that she would cooperate with ED to bring the truth out but that did not happen.

Notably, the matter first came to the fore after renowned film producer Akshay Parija lodged a complaint against Archana Nag and her associate Shradhhanjali at Nayapalli police station on October 29 for allegedly blackmailing him and demanding Rs 3 crore.

Meanwhile, Khandagiri police recorded the statement of Archana’s aide Shradhanjali under Sections 161 of the IPC.

“I came to Bhubaneswar in search of a job in 2018. Coincidentally, I got rent at a Jagamara-based building where the Nag couple used to live.  It was then I came to know about Archana who trapped me on the pretext of job and money,” her statement read.

“Archana forced me to offer drinks laced with intoxicants to VIPs before keeping illicit relationship with them and capture those memories. She asked me to blackmail bigwigs. When I declined, Archana made me drink a mocktail laced with intoxicant and captured my nude video. Archana used to blackmail me showing those videos of mine,” her statement read further.

“In January 2022, she asked me to keep relationship with producer Akshay Parija and Archana had done the entire shooting. She had even asked me to file a false complaint against him at Lakhmi Sagar police and blackmail him”, her statement added.

Reported by Alok Mohanty, OTV

 

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