Plea to cancel bail of ex-Odisha minister, son

Bhubaneswar, April 15 (IANS) Barsa Swony Choudhury, who slapped a dowry harassment case on her husband and father-in-law and former Odisha law minister Raghunath Mohanty, Monday moved the Orissa High Court seeking cancellation of bail given to the two.

Choudhury, 23, filed the petition at Cuttack, 26 km from here, saying that her husband Rajashree and the in-laws allegedly violated the bail conditions and tampered with the evidence in the case.

She alleged that the two accused had been issuing threats to her family members, a lawyer related to the case told IANS.

“She wants the bail granted to her husband and the in-laws be cancelled,” he said.

Choudhury lodged a complaint with police at the district headquarters town of Balasore last month alleging that she had been physically and mentally tortured by her husband Rajashree since their wedding in June 2012.

She also alleged that her father-in-law, mother-in-law Pritilata, sister-in-law Rupashree and other family members were also involved in the crime.

She claimed that her parents had given Rs.10 lakh at the time of the marriage, as was demanded, but her husband and the in-laws were unhappy, insisting that her parents pay Rs.25 lakh and also give a multi-utility vehicle.

While Rajasree was arrested March 17, his parents were arrested from Kolkata March 30. A court in Balasore granted bail to them earlier this month.

Mohanty is a five-time legislator from Basta constituency in Balasore district. He resigned from the state cabinet March 15, a day after his daughter-in-law lodged the complaint with police.

Mohanty, 64, had been holding the portfolios of law, urban development and information technology.

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