By Our Correspondent
NEW DELHI/BHUBANESWAR: With Kendrapara Lok Sabha MP Anubhav Mohanty buying time for counselling and missed 2 dates, the Supreme Court on Friday transferred the divorce suit filed by MP to the Family Court, Cuttack from the Patiala House Court in New Delhi. The case was transferred on the basis of an application filed by Mohanty’s estranged actress-wife Varsha Priyadarshini.
MP Mohanty had been alleging his actress wife Varsha Priyadarshini and 2 of her elder sisters like Bananee Sahu and Debjani Sahu Gouda hatching conspiracy against him to damage his political career.
According to reports, the apex court directed the Cuttack Family Court to hear the case expeditiously after fixing a date. The estranged couple, who are leading film actors of Odisha, were also directed to appear before the Cuttack court on the designated date, reports said.
Married for over five years now and having no children, the couple is now staying separately under one roof since 2019. Last year, Mohanty filed a divorce suit in the New Delhi court stating that Varsha has failed to fulfil her duties as a wife and as a daughter-in-law to his old and ailing parents. After getting a notice from the Patiala House Court, Varsha had approached the Supreme Court seeking to transfer the case to Cuttack as it would be very difficult for her to attend the Delhi court.
The apex court had earlier stayed the hearing of the case in the New Delhi court following Varsha’s plea. Notably, Varsha too has approached separate courts in Cutack seeking restitution of her conjugal life and alimony. The estranged couple has also made several allegations against each other at a police station here. On one occasion, Anubhav’s mother too has made a police complaint against Varsha.
Sources said after skipping the January 22 counselling, the BJD MP had once again on February 23 did the same making clear about his intension for separation or divorce with his actress wife Varsha Priyadarshini.
Varsha had filed a domestic violence case against MP Mohanty at the Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM) Court in Cuttack. Sources said, even tough Varsha and her lawyer turned for counselling on both dates and had also present at the mediation centre but MO Mohanty did not turned up.The Court fixed next counselling on April 16.
The SDJM Court had appointed lawyer Smitaranjan Patnaik as the counsellor or mediator to resolve the case through counselling. A report will be submitted before the court after recording statement of both Anubhav and Varsha in the case.
Varsha had filed a case under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act at the SDJM Court on August 7, 2020, accusing Anubhav of torturing her physically and mentally.
A month before the case, the Kendrapara MP had filed a petition in the Patiala House Court seeking divorce from her on July 6, 2020.However, the Supreme Court of India on October 16, 2020, stayed the divorce petition after Varsha moved to the apex court seeking transfer of the case from Delhi to the Family Court in Cuttack.
