Bhubaneswar: Odia film producer Pramod Swain on Tuesday appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the money laundering case against woman blackmailer Archana Nag, who allegedly honey trapped several renowned personalities of Odisha including politicians and business tycoons.
Speaking to media persons before entering the ED office here, Swain alleged that Archana was blackmailing him. He also said Archana was staying in his house as a tenant in Bhubaneswar.
Archana’s close aide Shradhanjali Behera was also reportedly used to stay in Swain’s house.
As per reports, Archana used to stay on the first floor of the house while Behera moved into the ground floor of the house later. This was the first time when the duo came in contact with each other.
The woman blackmailer had lodged a complaint against the film producer before city Mahila police station in 2017. In the complaint, Archana had levelled sexual and mental harassment charges against Swain. However, the case was resolved amicably, sources said.
Swain’s advocate Akash Bhunya said that his client had mentioned about extortion in the complaint filed against Archana. He claimed that Swain is not involved in any monetary transaction with Archana.
So far, another Odia film producer Akshaya Parija, businessman and BJD MLA Sudhir Kumar Samal’s brother Gangadhar Samal, another businessman Amiyakant Das, Archana’s associate Shradhanjali, her business partner Khageswar Patra and her driver Chandan had appeared before the ED in connection with the case.
The sensational case has come to lime light when a girl filed complaint against renowned Odia film producer Parija, accusing him of sexually exploiting her. Following this complaint, some purportedly obscene pictures of Parija with a girl went viral in social media.
Later, Parija too had lodged another complaint before Nayapalli police station alleging that the woman Archana Nag and another woman, Shradhanjali Behera, had made extortion demands of Rs 3 crore from him.
Archana, her husband Jagabandhu Chand and their business partner Khageswar Patra have been arrested in this case. The ED is planning to bring the couple on remand.
(IANS)
