Bhubaneswar: The Enforcement Directorate (ED), probing the money laundering angle in the high-profile honeytrap case in Odisha, will take prime accused Archana Nag and her husband Jagabandhu on remand.
A local court in Bhubaneswar allowed the ED to take Archana on remand for six more days in connection with the high-profile sex and extortion scandal. Archana’s husband Jagabandhu Chand will also be taken by the central agency on remand for nine days from December 14.
Sources said that the ED on Tuesday arrested Archana under section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Earlier, the ED had arrested Archana’s business partner Khageswar Patra in the case.
For further investigation into the matter, the central agency sought the remand of the two accused. Accordingly, the ED applied for seven and 15 days remand of Archana and Jagabandhu, respectively.
Speaking to media persons, Archana’s advocate Debasish Mohapatra has said, “The ED has prayed before the court for further remand of Archana and we have objected to it on medical grounds. However, the court has granted a six-day remand of Archana and nine-day remand of Jagabandhu.”
Archana and Jagabandhu are currently lodged in the Jharapada special jail following their arrest by the Bhubaneswar-Cuttack commissionerate police on the charges of blackmailing and extortion charges.
The sensational sextortion case has come to lime light when a woman filed complaint against renowned Odia film producer Akhaya Parija, accusing him of sexually exploiting her. Following this complaint, some purportedly obscene pictures of Parija with a woman went viral in social media.
Later, Parija too had lodged another complaint before Nayapalli police station alleging that the woman Archana Nag and another woman, Shradhanjali Behera, had made extortion demands of Rs 3 crore from him.
More than 20 leaders from the ruling BJD and opposition BJP, besides prominent businessmen, film producers and real-estate tycoons were reportedly honey-trapped by Archana Nag, who had allegedly hired high-profile call girls to please wealthy customers.
IANS