Mary Kom's former husband files defamation complaint over TV interview

Karong Onkholer says comments by the boxer harmed his reputation. His complaint is before a Delhi court, and its allegations have not been established.

The former husband of Olympic medallist Mary Kom, Karong Onkholer, has filed a defamation complaint against her at Delhi’s Saket Court. He alleges that remarks she made in a televised interview harmed his reputation. Filed on October 6, the complaint is before Judicial Magistrate First Class Shivam Gupta for pre-summoning evidence.

According to the complaint, Onkholer and Kom married on March 12, 2005, and lived in Faridabad. The complainant says their marriage was dissolved through customary practice on December 20, 2023. He alleges that a television interview aired on January 11, 2026, left viewers with an impression that he was unfaithful, unemployed, financially dependent and affected by alcohol.

The complaint also says viewers could have understood Kom’s remarks as alleging that he misappropriated money from her bank accounts and abandoned his responsibilities toward their children. Onkholer disputes that account of his professional life, saying he set aside his own career plans to support Kom’s boxing career. These are the complainant’s claims and have not been established in court.

Filed through advocates Akash Krishna and Pragati Sharma, the complaint invokes Section 356 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, which deals with defamation. The next hearing is scheduled for November 19, when the court is expected to consider the next steps in the pre-summoning proceedings. Independent reports by The Economic Times and Northeast Now also say the case is at this preliminary stage.