CUTTACK: Determined to arrest Orissa DGP (Fire services) B B Mahanti, the Rajasthan police on Monday searched for the senior IPS officer at his office, residence and hospital without getting any trace of the top cop.

Mahanti, wanted by the Rajasthan police in connection with his son Bitihotra parole jumping case, is on a four-day medical leave from May 27 to May 30 for suffering from blood dysentery. Mahanti is facing criminal case at the Lalkothi police station in Rajasthan for allegedly abetting his 24-year-old son to jump parole while serving a jail term of seven years for raping a German tourist.

But undeterred, the four-member visiting police team that arrived in the city in the morning is planning to continue its `search DGP mission' on Tuesday. "We are going to raid some private hospitals on Tuesday to search for the officer who was not found in his official residence," said Mukund Behari, a DSP rank officer who is leading the team from Rajasthan.

Earlier in the morning, the team, including Lal Kothi PS inspector Virendra Jakhar and two constables, arrived in the city by train from New Delhi. They got in touch with Cuttack SP Soumendra Priyadarshi and with the help of local police the visiting cops went to the DGP's office at Tulasipur. However, Mahanti's personal assistant informed the Rajasthan cops that the DGP had gone on medical leave.

Mahanti's leave application was addressed to the State Home Secretary without mentioning anything about his address during leave period. However, getting informed that Mahanti was under treatment and had undergone endoscopy at SCB medical college and hospital, the team left for the hospital. There also, after vetting all the records pertaining to inpatients and outpatients, the visiting cops could not ascertain whether Mahanti was actually sick or feigning to be sick to evade arrest.

Kin not well

Finding no alternative, the Rajasthan cops then went to the DGP's official residence where an assistant commandant rank officer informed the visiting cops that the DGP was not at home. Equipped with a search warrant, Bihari insisted on searching the DGP's house following which only one officer and another woman police officer of the state police were allowed to go inside the house.

Inspector Jakhar, after searching the five-room double-storied bungalow, informed the waiting mediamen that the DGP was not at home. "I found the DGP's mother bed-ridden and his wife who is suffering from hypertension was also sleeping. I did not disturb the sick ladies and a nephew of the DGP who was taking care of the ladies could not tell about the whereabouts of Mahanti," Jakhar said.

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