Police allowed to conduct DNA test on Bitti Mohanty

The Kerala high court on Friday upheld a lower court order allowing police to conduct a DNA test on Alwar rape convict Bitti Mohanty, who jumped parole and was arrested after five years from Kannur district.

Dismissing a petition by Mohanty, justice K Harilal held that the sessions court decision cannot be described as unconstitutional.

Bitti Mohanty, the son of former Odisha Director General of Police B B Mohanty, was arrested on March nine while he was working as trainee officer of the State Bank of Travancore in Kannur district under a false name Raghav Rajan, on charges of impersonation, forgery and cheating.

The petitioner's contention was that he was Raghav Rajan and not Mohanty. He said police had not collected his DNA details and subjecting to the test would not serve any purpose.

The police, however, stated that they have enough material to prove that Bitti had impersonated as Rajan and secured the bank job after forging the certificates. The accused had been sentenced to seven years imprisonment for raping a German tourist at Alwar in Rajasthan and was absconding after he jumped parole on November 20, 2006.