Congress, BJP demand high-level probe in blackmailing case against Kalahandi woman

The opposition BJP and the Congress in Odisha demanded a high-level investigation into a case in which a woman was arrested for allegedly blackmailing influential people, including politicians.

The BJP demanded a CBI probe into the matter, alleging that several leaders of the ruling BJD were involved in the case, while the Congress sought a court-monitored SIT investigation.

The BJD, however, rejected the allegations as baseless.

The 26-year-old woman, a resident of Kalahandi, was arrested last week on the charge of blackmailing a girl, and also an Odia film producer. The police have booked the woman, her husband and another person under different sections of the IPC and the IT Act.

She allegedly befriended people on social media, and blackmailed them after clicking intimate photos and videos, police said.

"Police have utterly failed to conduct a proper investigation into the case, in which several senior ruling party leaders, including ministers, are said to be involved. The matter raises further suspicion as police are not revealing the names of all those having links with the blackmailing racket," BJP Mahila Morcha president Smruti Patnaik alleged at a press conference on Tuesday.

The woman's husband is also involved in the racket, and by not arresting him, the police allowed him to destroy evidence, she alleged.

State BJP general secretary Prithviraj Harichandan claimed that attempts were made to shield influential people. "It is therefore important to unmask those who are supporting the woman and her network," he said.

The Congress demanded a court-monitored SIT probe into the case.

"Several ruling party members were involved and they patronised the woman and her husband, who made crores of rupees by blackmailing," Congress leader Debasis Patnaik alleged.

Congress MLA Santosh Singh Saluja alleged that there is pressure on the police to hush up the investigation.

Rejecting the allegations, the BJD asked the Congress and the BJP to provide evidence that its leaders were involved in the matter.

"If the BJP is in possession of any photos or other evidence, it should make those public, instead of levelling wild allegations. I throw a challenge to them to prove the BJD's involvement," party spokesperson Lenin Mohanty said.