Law will take its own course: Naveen

The state government says this with Orissa's suspended top cop BB Mohanti seeking two weeks time to surrender before the Rajasthan police.

With Orissa's suspended top cop BB Mohanti seeking two weeks time to surrender before the Rajasthan police, the state government on Thursday said "law will take its own course" if he does so.

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"If he surrenders, the court will take action. The law will take its own course ... No one is above the law of the land," Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik told reporters in Bhubaneswar.

Mohanti, evading both Orissa and Rajasthan police since August 24, on Thursday sought two weeks time from the Supreme Court for surrendering before the Rajasthan police.

The apex court, in its order said his bail plea will be heard by the trial court in Rajasthan after he (Mohanti) surrenders. Mohanti was placed under suspension after a non-bailable warrant was issued against him for allegedly helping his rape convict son Bitihotra jump parole from a Rajasthan jail.

Police from that state failed to arrest him several times and he went into hiding after the Orissa government was asked to execute the NBW against Mohanti.

As Orissa police failed to trace Mohanti, it handed over the official document relating to his suspension to his wife and pasted a copy of it on his official residence at Cuttack.

"Orissa police had pasted the picture of Mohanti at different public places in Cuttack asking him to surrender immediately," said a home department official, adding the government had also issued notice through newspapers asking Mohanti to appear before it by November 21 for official proceedings.

He was warned that the government would be forced to take disciplinary action against him ex-parte for his evasive act.