Jodhpur, Sep 30 (IANS) Rajasthan Police Friday arrested a key suspect involved in the kidnapping of nurse Bhanwari Devi, who allegedly features in a CD in a compromising position with state Water Resources Minister Mahipal Maderna.
Police claimed the arrest of Baldev alias Balia is a major breakthrough in the investigations.
‘He was arrested from a village near Jodhpur. We got a tip-off about his presence here and had been searching in the area for past three days,’ a police officer told IANS.
He said Balia is one of the three key suspects in the case, besides Sohabuddin and Sahi Ram Vishnoi. Balia is suspected to have kidnapped the nurse with the help of Sohabuddin.
‘He is being interrogated for information regarding the whereabouts of other absconding accused and the missing nurse,’ said the officer.
Police had stepped up efforts to trace Bhanwari after the Rajasthan High Court Monday told them to make ‘more serious efforts’ in the case.
Inspector General of Police (Jodhpur) Umesh Mishra had told the court they were pursuing many leads and if any of the three key suspects — Shahbuddin, Balia and Sahi Chand Vishnoi — were arrested, they could get a breakthrough.
A group of villagers had attacked the police when it went to Kaparda village near Bilara Tuesday in search of Balia.
‘Four policemen sustained injuries. When they tried to get out of the village in the car, its windows were also smashed by the villagers,’ said a police officer.
Police had so far arrested a government contractor from Bilara area. They had also detained three men from Sikar district, but later let them off due to lack of evidence.
During interrogation, the name of Shahbuddin, a resident of Pipad area here and a mechanic by profession, also came up.
The court Sep 24 directed police to include Maderna as an accused and probe his role under Sections 376 (rape), 302 (murder) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.
The Rajasthan government also ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the case.
