Odia TV Artiste arrested by Police

An odia television anchor and actor was on Wednesday arrested for allegedly torturing his wife, an MCA graduate in Bhubaneswar. The actor, Uday Bhanu Mohapatra, 32, was sent to Jharapada Special Jail in judicial remand after the sub-divisional judicial magistrate (SDJM) rejected his bail plea.

The accused (38), who acted in several Odia serials like Maausi, Gayatri and Devi and video albums, married Annada Prava Ray in 2010. Ray lodged a complaint with Mahila police station on Tuesday alleging that she was regularly being subjected to torture by her husband for dowry. She charged him with assault too.

The complainant, who belonged to Tamando, had a love marriage with the actor in July 2010. Ever since, the couple had been staying near the Kalinga Stadium within the limits of Nayapalli police station. They have an eight-month-old daughter.

“He changed after marriage. He was torturing me over petty matters. My in-laws did not support me either,” she said. “He then demanded dowry,” she added.

Family members of the accused blamed her and said she ignited faction in our family. “Now the couple has to decide their future. We do not want to get involved,” said B K Mohapatra, his uncle.

Inspector in charge of Mahila police station Iti Das said that they tried to counsel the couple to settle the matter amicably, but both of them were adamant and did not want a settlement. “Following the failure of the counselling, we registered a case against the actor and forwarded him to the court,” said Das.

Mohapatra was booked under sections 498(A), 506, 294 and 323 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act.