Will Archana tremor really shake Odisha politics or end with a whimper? 

By Sukanta Kumar Mohanty

Bhubaneswar, Dec. 7: Will the high-profile lady blackmailer Archana Nag walk her talk? Will she really dare to tell the truth as she threatened to do on Tuesday when being taken to Capital Hospital here before being taken into custody by the Enforcement Directorate Personnel?

To get the answer, we have to be watchful for all these seven days as the ED progresses with the money laundering activities of Archana.

If the ED unearths the roots of money laundering, it would surely shake the Odisha politics as Shradhanjali, Archana’s friend, has claimed that many lawmakers, including ministers and MLAs, bureaucrats and businessmen, were regular visitors to the lady blackmailer’s palatial building at Satyavihar here in the city.

Sources said the ED has prepared a list of high-profile visitors to Archana’s place. 

Archana Nag, a lady blackmailer of Odisha who lured many influential people, including top politicians, bureaucrats and businessmen of the state, into her sex-trap; on Tuesday made some explosive remarks while being taken to a seven-day custody by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

She said there would be “tremors” in Odisha and the state would see a complete change (an indirect reference to state administration).

The lady blackmailer had easy access to the state secretariat, Assembly and chambers of ministers and MLAs. She availed a VVIP passes for her family to watch international cricket matches the India-South Africa T20 match at Barabati stadium, Cuttack, on June 13 this year.

Fluent in Hindi and Odia, Archana used to trap her victims through social media. Once getting close to them, she used to invite them to her palatial building at Satyavihar here in the city and shoot their intimate moments with call girls with secret cameras. She used the sex video clips to extort money from the victims. She was arrested last month after her ex-colleague Shradhanjali Behera filed a complaint against her accusing that she engaged her in sex trade to extort money from rich people.

 “I was waiting for the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to take me on remand for questioning. I will reveal the truth to the ED officials. There will be tremendous impacts on Odisha affairs if I’m allowed to freely reveal the entire story to the ED. The Bhubaneswar police hatched a conspiracy to frame me. They kept me in illegal confinement for six days before declaring my arrest. I will disclose everything to the ED.

Hailing from a nondescript village in remote Kalahandi district, Archana dropped out of school after passing out Class X examinations. She then went to Mumbai and spent some years there. After returning to Bhubaneswar, she ran a sex racket along with her husband Jagabandhu Chand and friend Khageswar Behera.

Archana made huge money by blackmailing influential persons who visited her bungalow and spent nights with call girls brought interior parts of Odisha and neighbouring states. She invested the money earned through sex racket in real estate business, used car trade and television serial production.

“I need sufficient time to speak, at least 30 minutes. If I speak out, the entire scenario of the state will change. I have been trapped. I will give all ‘exclusive’ evidence and not spare anyone,” said Nag.

Furthermore she said, “The call records of Sradhanjali, who worked with me before filing a case against me, must be examined. I wanted to hold a presser, but I was arrested before I could utter a word. I am not a terrorist.”

“I have all the evidence to prove me innocent. May it be ED or any higher probing agency; I am ready to face the investigation. My social status and image have taken a heavy beating,” Nag rued.

The ED, which is probing the high-profile sextortion racket, took Archana to Capital Hospital before taking her on a seven-day remand.