Supreme Court seeks Odisha response on Anubhav Mohanty's plea to quash harassment case by ex-wife

The Supreme Court on Monday sought the Odisha government's response to a plea filed by former Odisha Member of Parliament and actor Anubhav Mohanty seeking the quashing of a criminal case filed by his ex-wife alleging harassment and mental cruelty.

A Bench of Justices Sandeep Mehta and Vijay Bishnoi issued notice on Mohanty’s challenge to a January 2026 Orissa High Court judgment, which had refused to discharge him from the case.

The case dates back to December 2020, when Mohanty’s then-wife filed a criminal complaint alleging that he and two of his associates deliberately prevented her from entering a portion of their matrimonial home despite a court order permitting her to reside there.

Mohanty and his former wife, both well-known actors in the Odia film industry, married in February 2014. Their relationship later soured, leading to multiple legal proceedings, including divorce and domestic violence cases.

During the pendency of proceedings under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, a magistrate had allowed Mohanty’s wife to stay on the first floor of the matrimonial home in Cuttack. She was also provided round-the-clock police protection.

According to the FIR, she returned to the house around 10 PM on December 18, 2020 along with her protection officer and found Mohanty and his associates present there. When she went upstairs, she allegedly discovered that the entrance to the first floor had been secured with a chain and a new lock.

The complaint alleged that Mohanty left the premises soon thereafter, while one of the co-accused initially denied possessing the key. After police and a women’s helpline were contacted, the lock was opened around an hour later and she was able to enter the house.

She alleged that the incident was a deliberate attempt to harass and humiliate her by forcing her to remain outside the house late at night despite the subsisting court order permitting her to stay there.

Police subsequently registered a case and filed a chargesheet against Mohanty for offences including cruelty, criminal intimidation, wrongful restraint, obscenity and insulting the modesty of a woman. Two of his associates were also charge-sheeted.

Mohanty later sought discharge from the case before the trial court. After that plea was rejected, he moved the Orissa High Court.

The High Court declined to grant him relief, observing that at the stage of framing charges it was only required to examine whether the material collected during the investigation disclosed a prima facie case.

Justice BP Routray noted that the complainant’s allegations were supported by statements of police personnel who were present at the spot and by material collected during the investigation.

The High Court said that whether the allegations were ultimately proved was a matter for trial and not something that could be examined at the stage of discharge.

Holding that the allegations were sufficient to proceed against Mohanty at this stage, the High Court dismissed Mohanty's revision petition.

It is against this order that Mohanty has approached the Supreme Court.