After admitting a divorce petition filed by Rajashree Mohanty, son of former Minister Raghunath Mohanty, a Family Court here issued summons to his estranged wife Barsa Swony Choudhury to appear before it on May 2. Rajashree’s counsel Harekrushna Dash confirmed this. Rajashree in the divorce petition filed on March 24 and admitted by the court on March 30 had cited mental torture to him and his family members, complete desertion for the last two years and non-performance of duties legally binding on her as the grounds for seeking legal separation from Barsa.
It may be recalled that on March 14, 2013, Barsa had accused Rajashree, her father-in-law Raghunath Mohanty, mother-in-law Pritilata Mohanty, sister-in-law Rupashree Madhual and brother-in-law Suvendu Madhual of torturing her physically and mentally for dowry. In her complaint, she had accused the Mohanty family of physically and mentally torturing her and demanding Rs 25 lakh and luxury car as dowry. A case was registered at Baleswar Town Police Station under sections 498(a) (husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty), 448 (trespass), 506 (criminal intimidation), 34 (common intention) of the IPC and section 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act (penalty for dowry). After public outcry and Opposition’s protests, the five-time MlA resigned as Minister of Housing and Urban Development, law and Information Technology on March 15, 2013.
Following the case, Rajashree was arrested by the Human Rights Protection Cell (HRPC) on March 17, 2013 from near Cuttack. After cooling his heels behind bars for 21 days, Rajashree was granted conditional bail on April 5, 2013 by Baleswar District and Sessions Court in the dowry case against him. Notably, Rajashree and Barsa had tied the nuptial knot on June 24, 2012.