CUTTACK: A team of the Rajasthan police, which has been trailing Director-General of Police (Home Guard and Fire Service) B.B. Mahanti for the last four days to arrest him, went to some undisclosed places as part of their mission without taking the assistance of the local police.

They reportedly visited some pathological laboratories in the twin cities of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar where `colonscopy' facility was available in the hope of getting some clue about the top cop's illness and whereabouts.

Mahanti, who had gone on casual leave on medical grounds up to May 31, was supposed to undergo colonscopy for blood dysentery he was reportedly suffering from.

Buying time?

Apart from SCB Medical College, the facility was available at half-a-dozen laboratories in the two cities. Mahanti was accused of abetting his son Bitihotra, convicted of raping a German scholar, jump parole. Sources said that the Rajasthan police would stay here for some more days as per the directions of their higher-ups.

On the other hand, it was learnt that Mahanti extended his leave by another day. "The extension of leave by the DG saheb is obviously for buying time as the Rajasthan High Court is likely to hear his anticipatory bail application on June 1," said DSP Mukund Behari, the leader of the visiting team.

NGO's objection

In another significant development, a voluntary organisation decided to oppose the stay of the Rajasthan police.

"The visiting policemen are unnecessarily creating hype. They are trailing an innocent senior rank IPS officer and tarnishing the image of the State police," said Ritanjali Pradhan, secretary of Social Welfare Association and Right Action for Justice (Swaraj).

"We are planning to register an FIR against the Rajasthan police at the Cantonment police station in Cuttack. If required, we will stage a demonstration in front of the police station seeking the arrest of the policemen," Mr. Pradhan said.

It was learnt that the FIR was supposed to be registered on Thursday but the organisation deferred it in view of the fact that the Rajasthan High Court would be taking up the case on Friday.

The organisation recently submitted a memorandum to the Governor, urging him to take up the matter with his Rajasthan counterpart. The memorandum sought quashing of the FIR filed against Mahanti at a police station in Rajasthan and transfer of Bitihotra from the central jail in Jaipur to an appropriate jail in Orissa.

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