Kannur, Kerala:
A sub inspector of the Rajasthan Police who had arrested Bitti Mohanty for the rape of a German national in 2006, today reportedly confirmed that a man in the custody of the Kerala Police is indeed the rape convict who jumped parole six years ago. The man, who insists that his name is Raghav Rajan, has, however, said he does not recognise the cop from Rajasthan.
Here are the latest developments in the case:
The Rajasthan Police team landed in Kannur, Kerala, this evening to identify Bitti Mohanty and seek his custody. In November 2006, Mohanty had given them the slip while on a 15-day parole and disappeared.
In Kannur, the Kerala Police were today given custody of the man for 10 days. They will dispatch a team along with the man they say is Mohanty to Rajasthan by train tomorrow.
The police had on Friday detained Raghav Rajan on charges of impersonation after his employer, the State Bank of Travancore, received an anonymous tip-off.
After his arrest, Rajan had reportedly "confessed" to being Bitti Mohanty and was sent to judicial remand; but he later retracted and now denies being the rape convict.
Apart from the team to Rajasthan, the Kerala Police is also sending teams to Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, to piece together Mohanty's story over the last six years of living as a fugitive.
One team has already left for Puttaparthi in Andhra Pradesh to find out if a Raghav Rajan ever existed. After his escape, Bitti Mohanty is believed to have lived in Andhra Pradesh for three years before slipping into Kerala.
The man arrested on Friday evening faces charges of using fake documents like a matriculation certificate, a passport and a driver's licence in the name of Raghav Rajan to get the job at the bank, where he worked for the last nine months. The Kerala Police are also investigating several bank accounts that the man they have detained holds.
The man, who even claims to hold an MBA degree from Kannur University, had previously taught in a school in Kerala. He is believed to have lived in the state for about three years now.
Bitti Mohanty had allegedly raped a German tourist in Rajasthan's Alwar district on March 21, 2006, and was convicted by a fast-track court on April 12, 2006. He was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment. He secured parole in November 2006 to meet his ailing mother and subsequently disappeared.
His father BB Mohanty was Director General, Home Guards and Fire Services in Odisha when Bitti Mohanty committed the crime, and was accused of and later arrested for aiding his son's escape. But he was released on bail after remaining in custody for a few days. He was also suspended but was later reinstated. He retired in 2010.
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