Odisha News: Bhubaneswar, (Reporterspen), Oct 16: Debasmita Sharma, a doctor-turned-politician who contested unsuccessfully for the Aul Assembly seat as a Congress candidate earlier this year, has accused her husband and five members of her in-law’s family of dowry-related torture. In a complaint filed with the Aul police, the 28-year-old alleged that her husband, Dr. Rahul Pratap Ray of Cuttack, frequently subjected her to physical abuse and humiliation due to her inability to meet his dowry demands.
The alleged abuse reportedly began just days after their marriage on December 14, 2022. Debasmita claimed that her husband demanded Rs 50 lakh to establish a private clinic in Cuttack. When she and her father expressed their inability to provide the funds, the torture intensified. She also alleged that in October 2023, her husband attempted to smother her with a pillow while she was asleep, intending to kill her.
Debasmita is the daughter of former Aul MLA Debendra Sharma and the granddaughter of Dr. Dibakar Sharma, also a former MLA from Aul. She worked as a physician at the community health center in Rajkanika before resigning in March to run for the Assembly election.
Following her complaint, police have registered a case under Sections 109, 85, 125, and 115 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act. “We are investigating the matter,” stated Sabyasachi Satapathy, the Inspector in Charge of Aul police station.
