Former Debagada MLA’s son-in-law arrested for dowry harassment & attempt to murder

Debagada: Police in Debagada district have arrested the son-in-law of a former MLA on charges of dowry harassment, assault and attempted murder following a complaint lodged by the woman.

The accused, Sabyasachi Mishra (34), a resident of Jaganath Nagar GGP Colony in Bhubaneswar, was arrested by Debagada police and produced before a local court. After his bail plea was rejected, he was remanded to judicial custody.

According to police, the complaint was filed by Sonali Panigrahi, daughter of former Debagada MLA Subash Chandra Panigrahi, alleging that she was subjected to mental and physical harassment for dowry after her marriage.

Police said Sonali married Sabyasachi on December 8, 2023. The complainant alleged that during the marriage, her family had given household articles along with 107 grams of gold jewellery.

According to the FIR, the couple had travelled to Goa after their wedding. After returning, Sonali allegedly faced repeated demands from her husband and in-laws for additional gold and cash from her parental family. She further alleged that after she informed her father-in-law about her husband’s alleged substance abuse, Sabyasachi physically assaulted her.

The complaint also states that a dispute later arose over the purchase of a house in Anugola. During discussions at Sonali’s parental home in Debagada, her elder brother reportedly suggested purchasing the property in Sonali’s name.

However, the accused allegedly insisted that the house be registered in his mother’s name. When Sonali refused, he allegedly assaulted her, threatened to kill her and attempted to strangulate her, causing her to lose consciousness. Her family members rushed her to the District Headquarters Hospital in Debagada for treatment.

As efforts to resolve the dispute between the two families reportedly failed, Sonali lodged a written complaint at Debagada police station on April 13. Based on the complaint, police registered a case and launched an investigation, which led to the arrest of the accused.

Police said the investigation into the allegations is continuing, and further legal action will be taken based on the findings.