Bhubaneswar/New Delhi: Trouble seems to be mounting for Arkesh Narayan Singh Deo, younger son of BJD leader Ananga Udaya Singh Deo, with a domestic violence case being reportedly registered against him and four other members of the Balangir Royal family at Dehradun’s Rajpur police station.
According to reports, the case has been filed against him, his father, mother Bijayalaxmi Devi, brother Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo and sister-in-law Meghna Rana on basis of a complaint by his wife, Adrija Manjari, pertaining to allegations of domestic violence, dowry harassment and attempt to murder.
On February 10, Uttarakhand police had filed an FIR under Sections 504 and 506 of the IPC, pertaining to criminal intimidation and intentional insult. However, they had not invoked Section 498A of the IPC used in cases related to domestic violence, Adrija Manjari told The Wire while alleging that the Station House Officer in Rajpur had been bought off by the Singh-Deos.
After meeting Uttarakhand director general of police (DGP), she called on Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Saturday. Dhami spoke to the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) and gave strict orders to provide security and speed up the investigation in the case, the India Today reported.
The report added that Adrija also sent an SOS to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s and Home Minister Amit Shah’s offices and one of the top leaders from the central government dialled CM Pushkar Dhami.
CO Rajpur will investigate this matter, SSP Dehradun Dilip Singh Kunwar told ANI.
Adrija is the granddaughter of former Prime Minister VP Singh and the duo had got married on November 23, 2017
While alleging that they were trying to oust her from her marital house in Dehradun, she claimed that some women were sent by her husband to kill her on May 13. “After sending me divorce papers on September 8, 2022, Arkesh called my sister Richa on September 14 to ask us to vacate the house…In March this year, they installed CCTV cameras on the premises of the house to keep an eye on me and directed the domestic help as well as other staff to humiliate and abuse me,” her complaint read.
She has also named one Hari Singh and house staff Dinesh and Ravita for allegedly threatening her, invading her privacy and creating nuisance on the premises at the behest of her husband and father-in-law.
“On May 1, 2023, Hari Singh, on Arkesh, Kalikesh and Anang Uday Singh Deo’s instructions, roughed up a member of my staff and forcefully took away the house keys from him. He then cut off the water supply to the house and changed the locks,” the complaint added.
In two YouTube videos, Arkesh Singh Deo called these allegations ‘false and frivolous‘. “I left the house after Adrija filed a case against him. Currently, her sister resides there and also her father visits her for 15 days every month. I visit the house to pick my stuff once a month,” said the Royal scion. He further alleged that his father-in-law has links with land mafia of Saharanpur and using them to threaten him.
Also Read: Odisha’s ‘Royal’ Mess Gets Murkier: Arkesh Singh Deo Responds To Wife Adrija’s Allegations
Arkesh claimed that the CCTV cameras installed by him on the recommendation of police but were removed by Adrija on two occasions. The domestic violence case against him and his family was “all drama” to deflect attention from what had “really unfolded” over the last few days, he added.
The couple started staying in Dehradun after Arkesh lost the Balangir assembly segment in 2019 polls.
Also Read: Domestic Violence, Dowry Torture Allegations Against Balangir Royal Family
