Odisha Police have arrested the husband of a judicial officer on charges of dowry harassment and domestic violence following a complaint filed by the officer, officials said on Tuesday.
The 34-year-old accused was taken into custody on Monday after the judicial officer, currently posted in Odisha’s Nabarangpur district, filed a written complaint at Mahila police station in Bhubaneswar.
According to the police, the couple had been facing marital disputes for nearly 10 months. The complainant alleged that her husband subjected her to mental and physical cruelty during this period.
Also Read: India’s fight against dowry must continue
A case has been registered against the accused under the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Act and the Dowry Prohibition Act.
“We have arrested the accused from his residence in Bapuji Nagar area and produced him before the court. Further investigations are underway,” Bhubaneswar Assistant Commissioner of Police, Ramesh Chandra Bisoy, told PTI.
Police did not reveal additional details about these charges, citing the ongoing investigation.
Growing concern about dowry harassment and domestic violence
The arrest comes amid ongoing concerns over dowry-related crimes and domestic violence across India. According to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data released in 2025, more than 6,100 women died in dowry-related incidents in 2023, while cases registered under the Dowry Prohibition Act rose by 14% compared to the previous year.
In recent weeks, Odisha itself has witnessed several dowry-related cases. Earlier this month, police in Jagatsinghpur district arrested a husband and his parents after a newly married woman died following harassment linked to dowry demands. The police registered a case of death due to dowry and opened an investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death.
The case has also attracted national attention due to the death of 33-year-old Twisha Sharma in Bhopal. Sharma was found dead in her matrimonial home in Katara Hills area on May 12, just five months after she married Bhopal-based lawyer Samarth Singh, whom she met through a dating app in 2024. Following her family’s allegations that she was subjected to dowry harassment and cruelty, police booked Singh and his mother, retired district judge Giribala Singh, under provisions of murder and dowry harassment. A six-member special investigation team was subsequently formed to investigate the case.
The case gained greater importance after a local court rejected the anticipatory bail application of Sharma’s husband, who is reported to be on the run, and the police announced a reward for information leading to his arrest. Sharma’s family has alleged that she faced constant harassment and has requested a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death.
(With inputs from PTI)
