By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: Samal Auto India Pvt. Ltd’s MD Gangadhar Sama on Thursday appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Bhubaneswar in connection with the high-profile Archana Nag honeytrap scandal case. Samal, is the brother of BJD MLA from Dhenkanal Assembly Constituency Sudhir Kumar Samal. Sources said that financial transaction amounting to Rs 30 lakh was made between Gangadhar Samal and Archana Nag through the former’s car showroom.
Samal Auto India Pvt. Ltd runs showrooms at Angul, Balasore, Barbil, Bhadrak, Keonjhar and Talcher while ED found that lakhs of rupees were transferred from the account of the car showroom owner to Archana Nag’s account.
ED already quizzed Hotel Sea Pearl MD Amiyakant Das , who allegedly deposited around Rs 11 Lakh in Atchana and her hubby Jagabandhu Chand’s Bank account. Das admitted depositing around Rs 7 to 8 Lakhs.
Sraddhanjali Behera, one of the associates of Archana Nag who accused Odia film producer Akshay Parija for sexually assaulting her appeared before ED. Parija was interrogated for nine hours on Tuesday and he appeared before ED again Wednesday.
Arachana and her husband , Jagabandhu were booked under Sections 341, 328, 324, 354 – C, 370, 386/387/388, 389, 419/420, 465, 506, 120 – B of IPC and Section 66 -E, 67 of IT Act and presently lodged at Jharpada Special Jail.
ED officers have already traced Rs 2.5 crore deposits in the bank accounts of Archana and Jagabandhu between 2017 and 2022. She allegedly amassed over Rs 50 crore along with her husband between 2018 and 2022 by blackmailing and threatening some politicians and rich people.
