BJD MP Anubhav Mohanty answers to women’s commission over domestic violence charge

In August,Varsha Priyadarshini had filed a case of domestic violence against Mohanty and his family.

Biju Janata Dal MP Anubhav Mohanty who is locked in a bitter marital fight with his actor wife Varsha Priyadarshini, appeared before the Odisha State Commission for Women on Tuesday, a fortnight after his wife filed a case of domestic violence against him before the commission.

Priyadarshini had moved Odisha SCW alleging domestic violence triggered by her ongoing marital discord with her husband.

On December 15, Priyadarshini had moved Odisha SCW alleging domestic violence triggered by her ongoing marital discord. In 2014, Mohanty and Priyadarshini had got married in a massive wedding ceremony in Bhubaneswar after years of courtship. Mohanty, a superstar of the Odia film industry, was then a Rajya Sabha MP.

Though the commission had issued summon notice to Mohanty along with his parents, only he deposed. Priyadarshini, too, went to the state commission office where the couple was questioned in connection with the petition moved by Priyadarshini.

In August, she had filed a case of domestic violence against Mohanty and his family under section 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23 of Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 at a court in Cuttack, citing multiple instances of mental and physical torture and demanded ₹15 crore compensation for the loss of her income due to losing out on movies as well as a monthly amount of ₹70,000 towards house rent and maintenance. She accused her husband of being a habitual drunkard and having multiple affairs with his co-stars. Mohanty had already filed a divorce suit a month earlier in July in a Delhi court.

Nine days ago, police registered a case against Mohanty, and two of his associates, under section 498 (A), 506 and 341of the IPC after Priyadarshini alleged that Mohanty had locked her in a room in his Cuttack house.

She was then rescued by police.

The marital discord seems to have taken its toll on Mohanty’s political career with CM Naveen Patnaik dropping him from the post of BJD’s national spokesperson. Recently, he was not seen in his home constituency of Kendrapara when CM’s private secretary VK Pandian had gone there for a discussion on a riverport project.