Former Odisha Law minister's son arrested in dowry torture case

Raja Shree Mohanty, son of former Odisha Law Minister Raghunath Mohanty, was arrested today, three days after his wife slapped a dowry torture case against his family members, a senior police official said.

"Raja Shree was arrested at Choudwar near Cuttack by a team of the Human Rights Protection Cell (HRPC) of Odisha police," the official said.

Refusing to state whether the police would arrest other family members including Raghunath Mohanty, who resigned from Naveen Patnaik Ministry on March 15 following the dowry torture charges, he said investigation was on and appropriate

steps would be taken as per requirement of the case.

Raja Shree Mohanty, who had married Barsha Sony Choudhury alias Mohanty barely eight months ago, has moved an anticipatory bail petition in the Orissa High Court in the wake of the dowry torture case filed by his wife in Balasore on March 14 night.

Meanwhile, Raghunath Mohanty remained incommunicado as the demand for his arrest grew louder. The senior Mohanty, who resigned on March 15, was neither seen at the assembly since then nor at his residence while his mobile phone remained

switched off.

His daughter-in-law slapped a dowry torture case against him and his family and the issue created pandemonium in the assembly for last two days.

Barsha Sony filed an FIR against him, her mother-in-law Pritilata, her husband Raja Shree and other members of the family at Balasore town police station accusing them of demanding Rs 25 lakh, a vehicle and other valuables.

A case has been registered against Mohanty and others under sections 498(A) (cruelty), 506 (criminal intimidation), 448 (house tresspass) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of IPC, according to Balasore Superintendent of Police Amrita Das.

Refuting the charges levelled by Barsha, Raghunath Mohanty had said "allegation against me and my family is totally false and baseless. The people of Balasore know the truth. Let the law take its own course."

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