Anubhav entitled to get divorce decree: HC

Cuttack: The Orissa high court on Thursday held that BJD’s Lok Sabha MP Anubhav Mohanty is entitled to get a decree of divorce in his favour, giving a decisive turn to the marital discord between the actor-turned politician and his wife Varsha Priyadarshini.Anubhav’s counsel Lalitendu Mishra said, “The two-judge bench of Justice Arindam Sinha and Justice Sibo Sankar Mishra held that Anubhav was entitled to get a decree of divorce in his favour under Section 13 (1) (a) of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955.”Anubhav and Varsha, also an actor, got married on February 8, 2014. He had sought divorce from her on grounds of cruelty while contending that the marriage between the two had not been consummated. Anubhav had first filed the divorce petition before a family court in New Delhi. Later, Varsha filed a petition before the Supreme Court to transfer the case to Cuttack.Accordingly, the apex court allowed Varsha’s plea on March 5, 2021 and directed the family court, Patiala House in Delhi to transfer the original records of the case immediately to the family court in Cuttack.On September 22 this year, the family court in Cuttack held that Anubhav was not entitled to get a decree of divorce in his favour as he failed to establish that Varsha refused and avoided consummation of their marriage and caused mental cruelty to him by her conduct towards him and his family members. Later, Anubhav challenged the decision in the high court.“The two-judge bench held that the non-consummation of the marriage is well proved by the arguments placed on behalf of Anubhav,” Mishra said.