Odia jatra actress Sonali's husband arrested: Father denies allegations, seeks fair probe

Hours after the arrest of Shreekhetra Samanta Singhar, the husband of popular Odia jatra actress Sonali Panda, his father on Sunday, claimed that the allegations levelled by his daughter-in-law were completely false and baseless.

Shreekhetra was arrested by Krushnaprasad police in Puri district on the basis of a complaint filed by his wife Sonali. In her complaint, Sonali made serious allegations, accusing Shreekhetra of raping her when she was a minor, blackmailing her, and later forcing her into marriage. She further alleged that after their marriage, Shreekhetra abandoned her on a public road.

Based on these allegations, Sonali had lodged a written complaint at Krushnaprasad police station in August this year. Acting on the complaint, police arrested Shreekhetra from Bhubaneswar late Saturday night.

Following the arrest, scenes of emotional distress were witnessed at Shreekhetra’s residence, with family members breaking down in tears. The family claimed that he was the sole earning member, and his young son was reportedly seen pleading with police officials to release his father.

Reacting to the arrest, Shreekhetra’s father alleged that Sonali is making false statements and maintained that the truth will emerge once a proper investigation is conducted.

Also Read: Odia Jatra actress Sonali's husband arrested from Bhubaneswar over forced marriage allegation

"The allegations against my son are completely false and baseless. He has been wrongly arrested. Our family was surviving on his earnings. I have a wife who is differently abled, and Shreekhetra has a young child. We were entirely dependent on him for our livelihood. This is a grave injustice to our family. I sincerely request the government to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into the matter. If my claims are found to be false, my son should be sent to jail," said Shreekhetra's father Dilip Kumar Dalai.

"The allegations are completely false. We three members of our family are fully dependent on my father. Police have wrongly arrested my father. I request the government to release my father," said Shreekhetra's son Yasraj Samanta Singhar.

Meanwhile, no reaction from Sonali could be obtained in response to the allegations made by Shreekhetra's father.