Archana Nag Sextortion Case: HC Rejects Sraddhanjali’s Plea, Orders Her to Appear in Person

Cuttack: The Orissa High Court has rejected a plea filed by Sraddhanjali Behera, an associate of Archana Nag, to appear through legal counsel. The court insisted that Behera must personally appear before the CBI court in connection with the Archana Nag sextortion case.

Behera’s bail plea was rejected in a lower court, leading to a non-bailable warrant being issued against her. She had cited her ill health as a reason for evading personal appearance in court. However, the court rejected her interim protection plea and directed her to cooperate with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in their investigation.

The ED had raised concerns about Behera’s non-cooperation in the ongoing probe into the money laundering allegations against Archana Nag. In the course of the investigation, it was discovered that Archana Nag had deposited a significant amount of money into Sraddhanjali Behera’s bank account between 2017 and 2022. As a result, the ED filed a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against Archana Nag, her husband Jagabandhu Chand, his business partner Khageswar Patra, and Sraddhanjali Behera.