Cuttack: Trouble mounted for singer Sourin Bhatt as the Twin City Commissionerate Police today issued lookout circular against him in a harassment case.

A police team had gone to Kolkata to trace Sourin. However, the team was unable to know the whereabouts of the singer even after conducting searches at three locations in Kolkata.

"Sourin Bhatt had earlier received interim protection from the Orissa High Court. Later, the High Court revoked it. Subsequently, we issued a notice to the accused for deposing before the investigating officer. However, he defied the notice and didn't appear before the officer. A special team of the police had gone to Kolkata, where the cops went to his residence, but he was not present there. We have now issued a lookout notice against him. He won't be able to leave the country now. We are trying to communicate with him," said Cuttack DCP Pinak Misha.

The Orissa High Court had earlier rejected his anticipatory bail plea in the case.

He had moved the High Court seeking anticipatory bail claiming that the allegations levelled against him were baseless and it was done intentionally.

Sourin is accused of harassing a woman of Cuttack. Statement of the victim woman, who is a bank employee, was previously recorded by the Magistrate under Section 164 of the CrPC. The woman had lodged an FIR in this regard at Jagatpur police station and the case was later referred to Mahila PS in the city.

As per the FIR, Sourin had been harassing the woman both physically and mentally on the promise of marrying her and giving her a break in singing. Sourin had taken Rs 10 lakh from her. He and the woman were in a love relationship for the past several years. Subsequently, Sourin allegedly turned out to be a trickster and deceived the woman.

Acting on the FIR, Mahila police had registered a case (No-78/2023) in this connection under Sections 294, 323, 341, 376, 417, 493 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code.