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Mahanti still untraceable

Correspondent

Evading arrest, say Rajasthan police

CUTTACK: For the second day on Tuesday, the Rajasthan police failed to trace Orissa DGP-rank officer B.B. Mahanti, who had gone on casual leave for four days on medical grounds.

The police personnel who were here to arrest the senior IPS officer continued their mission of searching for Mahanti at some more hospitals and his office on the second day.

"We have not been able to trace the DG saheb yet though we scanned the attendance role of some hospitals. Mahanti saheb received some treatment for blood dysentery at the police hospital in Buxi Bazaar on May 26. But he neither received any treatment at nor was admitted to SCB Medical College and Hospital on May 27 and 28," said Rajasthan police team chief and DSP Mukund Behari. The hospital superintendent gave us this information last night as per our requisition, Mr. Behari said.

Anticipatory bail

Meanwhile, Mr. Behari and his colleagues, after searching for the DGP unsuccessfully for two days, believe that Mahanti was trying to evade arrest. "Now that the DGP is sure that he could be arrested and taken to Rajasthan for production before trial court, he is buying time and waiting for the outcome of his anticipatory bail filed in Rajasthan High Court," said a member of the visiting police team.

Mahanti reportedly moved the Rajasthan court for an advance bail pleading that he was not guilty in his son Bitihotra parole jumping case. "Instead, his son has committed the crime in not returning to Jaipur jail after completion of his parole period of two weeks ending on December 4, 2006," Mahanti reportedly stated in his bail application, adding that the Rajasthan police should concentrate in searching and arresting his son.

To stay on

On the other hand, the Rajasthan police were planning to extend their stay in Orissa and wait for their government's orders to meet the Orissa DGO Amarananda Pattanayak and Home Secretary T. K. Mishra.

"We expect that the Orissa Government and the State police would cooperate with us to trace the DGP and allow us to interrogate him," Mr. Behari said.

Mr. Mishra, reacting to the plan of the Rajasthan police to meet him, said that the government of Orissa would provide all help and cooperation to the visiting police.

"We will provide them security but we cannot apprehend the DGP and handover him over to the Rajasthan police," Mr. Mishra reportedly said.

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