Olympic medallist boxer Mary Kom’s former husband, Karong Onkholer, has filed a criminal defamation complaint against her in a Delhi court over remarks she allegedly made in a television interview earlier this year.
The complaint, filed on October 6, is pending before Judicial Magistrate First Class Shivam Gupta, and the matter is scheduled to be heard on November 19.
Onkholer has alleged that the remarks, aired in January after their marriage was dissolved in December 2023, were false and damaging. He has asked the court to take note of the alleged offence, record his pre-summoning evidence and summon Kom if sufficient grounds are made out. The allegations have not yet been adjudicated by the court.
According to the complaint, Kom accused Onkholer of cheating and abandoning her, and claimed that he had no successful career and depended on her earnings. The complaint says these statements created a false impression that he had no independent professional identity and had benefited financially from his marriage to the boxer. The complaint also objects to allegations that Onkholer withdrew money from Kom’s bank accounts without authorisation, took loans in her name and did not contribute to the upbringing of their children. It further refers to remarks that allegedly portrayed him as someone who did not work and relied on Kom financially.
Onkholer has claimed that the statements were false, malicious and intended to harm his reputation, and that their wide public circulation caused him mental distress and damaged his standing in society, as well as his reputation as a spouse and parent. Disputing the alleged portrayal of him as unemployed and dependent on Kom, Onkholer has said he sacrificed his own career and professional opportunities to support her boxing career during their marriage.
The complaint states that the couple married in March 2005, and lived together in Faridabad. Their marriage was dissolved through customary practice in December 2023.
The complaint has been filed through advocates Akash Krishna and Pragati Sharma. The case is currently at the stage of pre-summoning evidence, in which the magistrate records preliminary oral and documentary statements before deciding whether summons should be issued to the accused. Kom is currently participating as a contestant in the TV reality show Big Boss.