Rourkela: Deogarh police arrested the son-in-law of ex-MLA Subash Chandra Panigrahi from Angul district on Aug 5 on charges of dowry harassment, assault and attempt to murder following a complaint lodged by his wife — the former legislator’s daughter. Accused Sabyasachi Mishra (34) was sent to judicial custody after a local court rejected his bail plea on Wednesday, said Sabyasachi Satapathy, inspector in charge of Deogarh police station.The accused, a resident of Jagannath Nagar GGP Colony in Bhubaneswar, works as a manager at a mining company in Angul. A complaint agaisnt him was filed by his wife, Sonali Panigrahi (29), daughter of former Deogarh MLA Subash Chandra.According to police, Sonali alleged that she was subjected to mental and physical harassment for dowry after marrying Mishra on Dec 8, 2023. She claimed that her family had given household articles and around 107 grams of gold jewellery during marriage.The FIR stated that the couple travelled to Goa after the wedding. After returning, Sonali allegedly faced repeated demands from her husband and in-laws for additional gold and cash from her parental family.She further alleged that Mishra assaulted her after she informed her father-in-law about his alleged substance abuse. The complaint also stated that a dispute later emerged over the purchase of a house in Angul. During discussions at her parental home in Deogarh, Sonali’s elder brother reportedly suggested that the property be registered in her name. However, Mishra allegedly insisted that it be registered in his mother’s name.When Sonali refused, Mishra allegedly assaulted her, threatened to kill her and attempted to strangle her, causing her to lose consciousness, the complaint stated. Family members subsequently rushed her to the district headquarters hospital in Deogarh for treatment.Police said efforts to resolve the dispute between the two families failed, following which Sonali lodged a written complaint at Deogarh police station on April 13.
