HC rejects anticipatory bail plea of rape-accused IAS officer

The Rajasthan High Court today rejected the anticipatory bail petition of IAS officer B B Mohanty, who has been suspended after a 22-year-old woman accused him of raping her.
The state government recently suspended Mohanty following the allegations levelled against him in January this year.
An FIR was registered on January 25 against Mohanty, an additional chief secretary rank officer who was posted as the chairman of the Rajasthan Civil Services Appellate Tribunal.
The woman said, in her complaint, that Mohanty introduced himself as a senior IAS officer last year and started exploiting her on the promise of helping her clear the civil services examination.

She said the officer sexually exploited her for the first time on February 19 last year at his flat.
A magistrate's court had already declared Mohanty an absconder in the case on March 27 when he did not turn up for police questioning.
Looking to this fact, Justice Prashant Agarwal of the high court denied anticipatory bail to Mohanty.