Cuttack, Jan. 15: Agriculture minister Pradeep Maharathy today submitted his statement on the Pipili rape case in response to a notice issued to him by the Justice P.K. Mohanty Commission.

"The reply to the notice (issued on December 30 last year) was received in a sealed cover today according to the direction and assigned date," commission secretary Niranjan Nayak told The Telegraph.

"The commission had issued the notice to him under Rule 8 (B) of the Commission of Inquiry Act, as it felt that his point of view was necessary," Nayak said.

The rule stipulates: "If at any stage of the inquiry, the commission considers it necessary to inquire into the conduct of any person or is of the opinion that the reputation of any person is likely to be prejudicially affected by the inquiry, the commission shall give to that person a reasonable opportunity to be heard in the inquiry and produce evidence in his defence."