Suspended Orissa DGP declared absconder by Rajasthan court

Suspended Orissa Director General of Police B B Mohanti, who is evading the police after he allegedly helped his son, convicted for raping a German tourist, escape, was on Thursday declared as an absconder by a local court.

The court also issued standing warrants against the top cop whereby he can be arrested any time and at any place.

Mohanti's son Biti was also declared as an absconder and faced similar warrants issued by additional chief judicial magistrate Rajendra Bansal. The court ordered that details of property owned by Mohanti, who is reported missing since August, be provided as a possible precursor to attaching them.

The court took the action after N Satpati, an inspector of Cantonment police station, appeared before it to say neither the top cop nor his son could be found. The Orissa police had already declared them absconders after warrants against them remained unserved.

A case was registered by the Rajasthan police against Mohanti in early 2007 for allegedly sheltering and concealing facts relating to his son, a rape convict, who had jumped parole since December 4, 2006. Bitti was given a seven-year jail sentence by an Alwar fast track court for raping a German lady in 2006.

Satpati told the court that the Orissa court had searched for the duo at several places including Bangalore, Kolkata, Vishakhapatnam, Delhi and in some places in Andhra Pradesh, but failed to find them.

After recording Satpati's statement, the court ordered for the standing warrants against the father-son duo, which meant that the order of arrest stands until executed. It also meant that no particular date was given by which the arrest should be made. They can be arrested anywhere and anytime.

On October.3, the same court had asked the Cuttack DGP to personally ensure the service of the arrests warrants against the Mohantis and on August 22 the same court had ordered the Rajasthan police to personally hand over the non-bailable arrest warrants against Mohanti and his son to the Cuttack district magistrate.