Odisha blackmailing case: Archana Nag to be released from prison after 14 months

Nag, found to be in possession of several branded cars, expensive two-wheelers, a farmhouse and a horse, was accused of amassing ₹30 crore through sextortion

Published on: Dec 5, 2023, 08:55:11 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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Archana Nag, a woman blackmailer who was arrested 14 months ago in a honey-trapping case following an FIR by a Dubai-based banker-turned-filmmaker, is likely to walk out of jail on Wednesday after the Orissa high court on Monday granted her bail in a case lodged by the Enforcement Directorate.

Nag, 27, was arrested in October last year along with her husband Jagabandhu Chand after a woman named Shraddhanjali Behera accused the couple of taking her obscene photos and using it to force her into honey-trapping politicians, businessmen and bureaucrats. Later, the ED arrested her under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Nag, found to be in possession of several branded cars including Audi, Ford Endeavour, expensive two-wheelers, a farmhouse and a horse, was accused of amassing ₹30 crore through sextortion in just two years.

Though Nag was granted bail by Orissa HC in two cases lodged against her in two different police stations of Bhubaneswar, she continued to be in jail in the ED case.

Also Read:Odisha blackmailing case: ED arrests Archana Nag under PMLA

During the last five years, Nag and her husband hit upon the idea of luring the rich and famous into their trap using WhatsApp video calls and other social media sites. “She and her husband Jagabandhu would first develop friendship with the victims by posing as a happy couple on Facebook. Jagabandhu would shortlist the victims first after which Nag chatted with them to collect their personal details and invite them to her house. She would then get intimate with them and record videos through secret cameras and later blackmail the victims, many of whom were rich and famous,” said a senior police official.

On social media, the couple posted photographs posing with Biju Janata Dal (BJD) ministers, senior leaders as well as bureaucrats. Archana’s husband identified himself as a BJD worker on his Facebook page.

According to ED officials, apart from extorting people, Nag and her husband also laundered black money of influential people including some politicians and businessmen. The agency has told the SIT on Black Money, headed by former Supreme Court judge Arijit Pasayat, that it has so far traced properties worth ₹10 crore in Nag’s name.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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