Jodhpur, Jan 1 (IANS) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Sunday grilled sacked Rajasthan minister Mahipal Maderna’s wife Leela Maderna and a Congress legislator’s son in connection with the disappearance of nurse Bhanwari Devi, sources said.
Mahipal Maderna had been arrested by the CBI Dec 3 for his alleged involvement in the case.
‘The CBI quizzed his wife at Jodhpur Circuit House for two hours. She had been summoned for verification of some evidence which came up during investigation,’ a source close to the investigators told IANS.
He added that Congress legislator Malkhan Singh Bishnoi’s son Mahendra Bishnoi was also quizzed by the agency.
Malkhan Singh Bishnoi, legislator from Luni constituency, has already been arrested.
Bhanwari Devi had gone missing from Jodhpur’s Bilara area Sep 1. Maderna was sacked from the cabinet by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot Oct 16 over allegations that he featured in a sleaze CD with her and had a role in her disappearance. He was later arrested by the CBI Dec 2.
It was alleged that Maderna hired one Sahiram Bishnoi to kidnap the nurse. Sahiram then allegedly assigned the task to Shahabuddin, Sohan Lal Bishnoi and Baldev Jaat alias Balia.
The CBI has arrested the three alleged kidnappers Shahabuddin, Sohan Lal Bishnoi and Baldev Jaat, apart from Sahiram Bishnoi, his friend Umesharam Bishnoi, Bhanwari’s husband Amarchand and Malkhan’s brother Parasram Bishnoi.
The CBI is also carrying out raids in search of Malkhan’s sister Indra Bishnoi.
In a CBI chargesheet filed in court earlier, Shahabuddin, Baliya and Sohanlal were charged with the abduction of the nurse with an intent to kill and criminal conspiracy.
They were also booked under various sections of the Scheduled Castes and the the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
