Odisha blackmailing case: ED raids premises linked to Archana Nag

She was arrested for allegedly amassing wealth by blackmailing prominent people in Odisha using sexually explicit videos

Published on: Nov 10, 2022, 11:21:33 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday raided at least six premises linked to Archana Nag, 26, who has been arrested for allegedly amassing wealth by blackmailing prominent people in Odisha using sexually explicit videos.

The ED booked Nag and her husband, Jagabandhu Chand, this month. (Sourced)

Officials said her parents’ home in Kalahandi and Nag’s residence in Bhubaneswar were among the premises raided. Central Reserve Police Force and state police personnel were deployed during the raids.

The agency booked Nag, her husband Jagabandhu Chand, and their associates Khageswar Patra and Shradhanjali Behera this month. Patra and Behera have been on the run.

The jailed couple allegedly amassed assets worth around ₹30 crore from 2018 to 2022 mainly through blackmailing prominent politicians by threatening them to make their videos viral. ED is looking into the source of the money they received, their bank accounts, and properties.

ED officials were likely to summon people who allegedly paid money to the couple over the last four years. Nag owns a palatial house in Bhubaneswar, luxurious cars, bikes, a farmhouse, and valuables worth crores.

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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