Bhubaneswar: Archana Nag, the prime accused in the blackmail and extortion racket in Odisha, on Tuesday claimed that she has "clinching evidence" against some people which if revealed will create ripples in the state. Nag spoke while she was being shifted from the Jharpada special jail to the Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar for a medical check-up. Later, Nag was taken to Enforcement Directorate (ED) office for interrogation.
Speaking further, Nag said, "I will cooperate with the probing agency and waiting for the ED to take me on remand for questioning. I need time to speak. My revelations will change the entire scenario in the state. I was trapped and will provide exclusive evidence. I will not spare anyone."
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Nag was arrested by the local police on October 6 and since then she is in judicial custody. She was also vocal against the commissionerate of police over the manner in which she was detained and later arrested. "I am not a terrorist. The way I was arrested and my family was harassed by the Commissionerate Police - it implies a conspiracy against me," said the 26-year-old woman. The ED took Nag on a seven-day remand on Monday and will produce her in the district and sessions court here on December 13.
The central agency is probing the money laundering aspect of the blackmail racket. It has so far grilled nine people. Her husband Jagabandhu Chand, an co-accused in the case, will be produced before the court on December 7. Earlier in the day, the architect of Nag's palatial residence Ranjit Behera appeared before the agency. The building contractor Pabitra Patra had faced interrogation on Monday.
Nag has allegedly amassed assets of Rs 30 crore, including a three-storey palatial bungalow at Satya Vihar in Bhubaneswar in just about four years from 2018. The ED also arrested the couple's associate Khageswar Patra and grilled him. Nag's former associate Sradhanjali Behera was also grilled by the probe agency for two consecutive days.
Nag was arrested based on the police complaint by Behera, who accused her of engaging women in the sex racket. Odia film producer Akshya Parija too had filed a police complaint against Nag and Behera accusing them of demanding extortion money of Rs 3 crore from him. (With agency inputs)
