ED Likely To Take Archana & Jagabandhu On Remand
ED Likely To Take Archana & Jagabandhu On Remand
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Bhubaneswar: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is likely to take Archana Naga and her husband Jagabandhu Chand into custody for questioning in connection with the shocking blackmailing affair in Odisha.
According to sources, the top central investigation agency has petitioned the court to release Archana and Jagabandhu, who are now held in the high-security Jharpada jail in Bhubaneswar after being nabbed by police in the blackmailing case.
When the two are brought before the court, Ed is likely to ask permission to remand the couple for questioning in order to obtain information about large financial transactions and to determine the possible involvement of others in the racket.
Aside from that, the ED also produced Khageswar Patra, an associate of Archana and Jagabandhu, in court after the second round of his remand time ended. According to reports, the central agency has asked the court for authorization to keep him in custody for another two days. The ED is said to have interrogated Khageswar for several hours and extracted critical information.
As the ED ramped up its investigation, Archana's erstwhile assistant Shradhanjali Behera was questioned for 12 hours, and the agency is reported to have traced large transfers in the account.
On Wednesday, film director Akshay Parija appeared before the ED for the second time in connection with the case. He filed a case against Archana, stating that she sought Rs 3 crore from him by threatening to reveal photos and recordings of his intimate moments. Archana was said to have employed Shradhanjali to trap Parija.
According to sources, Gangadhar Samal, a businessman and the brother of Dhenkanal MLA Sudhir Samal, came before the ED on Thursday for interrogation over financial transactions of Rs 30 lakh made between him and Archana through the former's vehicle shop.
The ED is investigating the crime's proceeds and has filed a money laundering complaint against Archana, her husband Jagabandhu Chand, and their two colleagues.
Archana and her husband allegedly amassed over Rs 30 crore through blackmailing and threatening politicians, business owners, and filmmakers between 2018 and 2022.
