Bitti's father skirts media, family rallies behind him

As the arrested bank probationary officer in Kerala insisted he was none other but Raghav Rajan and not the German woman rape case convict Bitti Mohanty, his father and former Odisha DGP B B Mohanty today evaded media for the third consecutive day.
Ever since it was reported that his fugitive son Bitti was arrested late on Friday, Mahanti has switched off his cell phone and is not meeting anybody, particularly media people for past three days.
Bitti was sentenced to seven years imprisonment for raping a 26-year-old German national in 2006.
"He (B B Mahanti) is, however, unperturbed over the developments. Mahanti doesn't appear a bit worried over all the reports that are appearing in the media relating to his son," said a person identifying himself as Dr Priya Mohan Mohanty who had gone to Mahanti's house at Bidanasi area for health check up of Bitti's octogenarian grand mother.

A battery of media persons were camping outside the former DGP's residence here in their efforts to get his comment on the developments taking place in Kerala and Rajasthan.
Meanwhile to a question whether to conduct an inquiry on Bitti's past records to help the investigation by Kerala police, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said, "I understand the matter is in the court. I am sure, appropriate action will be taken in the case."

Bitti's aunt, Kamini Patnaik, however, defended her nephew and said "Bitti is innocent."
"Had the case involved any Indian woman, I would have believed because of Bitti's age. But, I do not believe this case as they (Germans) have an open society," Kamini said.

After jumping parole in 2006, Bitti otained an MBA degree and managed to get into the bank as a probationary officer.
He pretended to be an Andhraite Raghav Rajan and during his stay also learnt to speak Malayalam well, without giving a clue to local people or his colleagues that he is a convict.
According to police sources, though Bitti had admitted to the police about his true identity during interrogation, he retracted while being produced before a Magistrate on Saturday, claiming he was not the absconding rapist.