Mary Kom’s Ex-Husband Alleges False and Damaging Remarks in TV Interview

The former husband of Olympic medallist and renowned boxer Mary Kom has filed a defamation complaint against her before Delhi’s Saket Court, alleging that she made false and damaging statements about him during a television interview.
The complaint was filed on October 6 and is pending before Judicial Magistrate First Class Shivam Gupta for pre-summoning evidence. The court is scheduled to hear the matter on November 19.
The complainant, Karong Onkholer, stated that he married Mary Kom on March 12, 2005, and that the couple subsequently lived together in Faridabad. According to the complaint, their marriage was dissolved through customary practice on December 20, 2023.
Onkholer has approached the court through advocates Akash Krishna and Pragati Sharma. He claims that before and during their marriage, he made sacrifices in his own career and professional pursuits to support Mary Kom’s boxing career.
The complaint states that this account contradicts the alleged remarks in which Mary Kom reportedly suggested that he had no career and had never been gainfully employed.
Allegations over television interview
According to the complaint, Mary Kom appeared as a guest on a long-running television programme on January 11, 2026, following the dissolution of their marriage. The programme allegedly featured a live studio audience and was subsequently broadcast to viewers across India.
Onkholer has alleged that comments made during the interview were false, malicious and defamatory, and were intended to damage his reputation. He has further claimed that the remarks were made with the knowledge, or reason to believe, that they would harm his standing in the eyes of the public.
The complainant described Mary Kom as an internationally recognised boxing champion and public figure with a substantial following who regularly appears on television and other media platforms.
The complaint alleges that an ordinary viewer would interpret the statements, taken individually and collectively, as portraying Onkholer as dishonest, unfaithful, unemployed, financially dependent on Mary Kom, and dependent on alcohol. It also alleges that the remarks suggested he had misappropriated money from her bank accounts and neglected his responsibilities towards their children.
Onkholer has argued that these alleged imputations have seriously harmed his reputation and standing as a spouse and parent. The complaint invokes Section 356 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, which deals with defamation.
The allegations are part of the complaint filed by Onkholer and have yet to be adjudicated by the court.