Biti Mohanty's father gets showcause notice

BHUBNAESWAR: Orissa's home department has served a show cause notice to senior police official Bidya Bhusan Mohanty for signing a surety bond seeking the parole of his son Biti Hotra Mohanty. Biti, who was convicted of raping a German, is absconding.

Mohanty, deputy general of police (home guard), was served a notice on Saturday after the department received photo copies of petitions allegedly sent by Mohanty to Rajasthan police authorities for his son's release on parole, a home department official said.

Bitti, convicted of raping a 26-year-old German woman in March 2006, was serving his seven-year sentence in a Jaipur jail. The 23-year-old management student had been let off on a 15-day parole on Nov 20, but failed to return after its expiry.

Mohanty's father got into trouble when he claimed that he had not signed the surety bond for his son's parole and that he had not visited Jaipur during that period.

But administrative authorities in Rajasthan said Mohanty had given a security of Rs 50,000.

Fearing arrest, Mohanty had applied for anticipatory bail in the Orissa High Court earlier this month. The court granted Mohanty interim bail till Feb 5.

Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and state police chief Amarananda Patnaik have said that the state government would not stop the Rajasthan Police from arresting Biti's father.