Kendrapara, Oct 16: A woman leader of Odisha Congress has lodged a dowry harassment case against her husband, police said on Wednesday.
Congress leader Dr Debasmita Sharma (28), who unsuccessfully contested 2024 Odisha Assembly election from Aul constituency in Kendrapara district, on Monday filed an FIR in local station accusing her husband of dowry torture.
“We have registered a dowry harassment case against Dr Rahul Pratap Ray following a complaint filed by his wife, Dr Debasmita Sharma,” Aul police said.
The woman Congress leader in her complaint has alleged that she was frequently beaten up and humiliated by her husband for failing to meet his demand for more dowry a few days after her marriage was solemnised with Rahul of Cuttack on December 14, 2022.
She further accused her husband of demanding Rs 50 lakh to start his own clinic in Cuttack. When she and her father expressed their inability to arrange the amount, her husband and in-laws started torturing her.
She also leveled attempt to murder allegation against her physician husband.
“We registered a case under sections 109, 85, 125 and 115 of the BNS and section 4 of Dowry Prohibition Act. Further investigation is underway”, said Aul police station IIC Sabyasachi Satapathy.
Dr Debasmita Sharma, was employed at Rajkanika community health centre (CHC). She resigned in March this year to contest the Assembly election. Her husband Rahul is appointed at SLN Medical College and Hospital in Koraput.
Dr Debasmita belongs to a political family in Kendrapara district. His father Debendra Sharma was elected from Aul Assembly seat in 2014 and her grandfather Dr Dibakar Sharma was also an MLA from there.