Mystery deepens over top cop's son's parole

Bhubaneswar, Dec 19 (UNI) Mystery shrouds over the whereabouts of Bitihotra Mohanty, the son of a top Orissa Police officer who was convicted for raping a German woman by a fast track court in Rajasthan and later granted parole from November 20 to December 4 last.

Bitihotra's father B B Mohanty, presently posted as Director General of Police (Home Guard and Fire Service) said his son was granted parole to visit his ailing mother and grandmother but is yet to turn up.

Meanwhile, Cuttack Superintendent of Police Soumendra Priyadarshi had received a message from the jail authority stating that Bitihorta was granted parole and was supposed to report on December 4 but failed to do so.

The SP had asked the Jaipur jail authority to issue a judicial order so that they could take up the case as according to the judicial procedure, if a convict jumped the parole, either a non- bailable warrant would be issued or a police team would be sent to trace the convict.

The top cop's son was convicted for raping a 24-year-old German tourist and was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment by the fast track court on April 12 last.

Mr Mohanty, when contacted by newspersons here, said he had appealed for parole to allow his son to visit his ailing mother and grandmother but his application was not acknowledged by the authority.

''I don't know whether my son is alive or not,'' he said brushing aside reports that his son was absconding. The senior Orissa police officer alleged that his son was subjected to both mental and physical torture inside the jail and was in a state of psychological stress.

He was even compelled to consume drugs inside the jail by the fellow prisoners and was admitted to a mental hospital for treatment, Mr Mohanty alleged.

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