Cuttack: The Orissa High Court today granted interim protection to Ollywood actor Varsha Priyadarshini, her mother and niece in a casteist remarks case.
“She has been granted interim protection till August 8 which has been fixed as the next date for hearing in the case,” informed Suryakant Das Mohapatra, petitioner Sujit Dalei’s counsel.
On August 8, the court will decide whether transit bail will be allowed to her or not, Das Mohapatra stated.
“We contended before the court that since the case has been registered in Delhi, it comes under the jurisdiction of Delhi High Court and the Orissa High Court has limited jurisdiction in this case. Since it is a Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act anticipatory bail cannot be granted and only transit bail can be granted,” he clarified.
Varsha, her mother and niece had moved the High Court seeking anticipatory bail following summons issued by the Delhi police in the case over her alleged casteist remarks.
All three were summoned by the North Avenue police station of Delhi for allegedly using casteist slur against and misbehaving with Sujit Dalei, a staff of actor-turned-politician and Varsha’s estranged husband Anubhav Mohanty.
Though the incident had occurred on July 9 in 2019, the Delhi police registered the case in July this year.
Earlier on July 25, a team from the North Avenue police station had arrived in Cuttack in this connection.
Sources said that due to lack of cooperation from the Purighat police, the team had to return to Delhi.
Later in the day, Varsha along with her elder sister reached the Purighat police station to receive the summons, the sources added.
