Suspended DGP remains elusive for second day

Bhubaneswar, Aug 25 (UNI) Suspended Orissa Director General of Police (Home Guard, Fire Services) BB Mohanti facing a non-bailable arrest warrant, remained elusive for the second day today.

The Orissa government yesterday rejected his leave application and suspended him after a NBW issued by a court in Jaipur for abetting his son Bitihotra, a convict in Alwar rape case,jump parole on December 4 last, was handed over to Cuttack District Collector.

Cuttack Superintendent of Police Soumendra Priyadarshi told newspresons that four police team constituted to arrest the suspended DGP, have so far raided 30 places in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar but failed to trace him.

The SP said the team had been keeping strong vigil at the Railway station, bus stand and Airport and visited some Hospitals in the twin cities to trace the senior cop.

Even his lawyer Debashis Panda when contacted by newspresons, expressed his inability to give any clue on the whereabouts of Mohanti.

State Home Secretary TK Misra told newsmen that Mohanti was on unauthorised leave as his application for seven days casual leave on health grounds from August 24 - 31 had been rejected by the government.

The suspension order of the suspended DG was sent to him by a special messenger this morning, Mr Mishra said.

The Home Secretary said he had received a four-page letter from Mohanti dubbing the recent warrant sent by the Rajasthan court as ''defective and invalid''.

Mr Mishra said the warrant was technically correct and '' we can take every step to arrest him now.''He further said only the court could take a decision whether the warrant issued against the suspended DGP was defective or not.

The Home secretary also made it clear that if Mohanti continued to remain untraced, suitable punishment as per the law would be taken against him.

UNI