Bhubaneswar, Dec 4: The prime suspect in the sextortion and blackmail case, Archana Nag, might soon be released from prison as she has been granted bail in all three cases filed against her.
The most recent development involves the Enforcement Directorate (ED) case.
This legal saga began on October 2, 2022, when a female victim filed a complaint at Khandagiri police station in Bhubaneswar against Nag. In response, the police initiated a case under pertinent sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Information Technology (IT) Act, leading to her arrest on October 7. Subsequently, the ED apprehended her under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on December 13. On October 17, her bail plea was turned down by the Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM) court in Bhubaneswar.
However, a turning point occurred on August 2, 2023, when the Orissa High Court granted Nag conditional bail in connection with the FIR registered at Khandagiri Police Station. Prior to this, in April, she had also secured bail in a case filed by a film producer at Nayapalli Police Station.
Despite obtaining bail in two cases, Nag remained incarcerated in Jharpada jail due to the absence of bail in the ED case. With the grant of bail by the Orissa High Court in the ED case, all impediments preventing her release from jail have been eliminated, paving the way for her imminent release.
