Thaindian News

Jodhpur, Dec 23 (IANS) Arrest warrants were Friday issued against five people including a Congress legislator?s sister after she failed to appear before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for questioning in the case of missing nurse Bhanwari Devi.

Indra Bishnoi is sister of legislator from Luni constituency, Malkhan Singh Bishnoi, who has been arrested by the CBI for his alleged role in the Sep 1 disappearance of the nurse. Indra was considered close to the nurse and is a suspect in the crime.

?Indra has been summoned for questioning several times over the past 20 days, but she did not turn up. She is missing. She was searched at her house in Jodhpur and other locations,? sources in the CBI told IANS.

Notices were posted on her residence warning her of legal action if she did not appear before CBI for questioning, but she ignored all of them, the sources added.

The CBI had filed an application in the court of an additional chief judicial magistrate to issue an arrest warrant against Indra and four others, said to be witnesses in the case.

The court Friday accepted the CBI?s request.

Earlier in the day, Sahiram Bishnoi, the key suspect in the case, surrendered before a court here, sources said. He was remanded in CBI custody till Jan 2.

Bishnoi, who carried a cash reward of Rs. 500,000 on his head for his role in the kidnapping and suspected murder of the nurse, surrendered before the court of the additional chief judicial magistrate.

In a chargesheet filed in a court here earlier, the CBI had claimed that Bishnoi had got Bhanwari Devi kidnapped and possibly killed at the behest of sacked Rajasthan minister Mahipal Maderna.

The nurse allegedly features in a CD showing Maderna in a compromising position with her. The CBI had alleged in the charge sheet that she was trying to blackmail Maderna on the basis of the CD, following which the politician hired Bishnoi to kill Bhanwari Devi.

The federal investigative agency also claimed that Bishnoi then roped in Shahabuddin, Sohan Lal and Baldev Jaat alias Balia to kidnap Bhanwari.

The agency has already arrested Maderna, Malkhan Singh Bishnoi and the three kidnappers in the case. However, Sahiram Bishnoi, a small time politician from Jodhpur considered close to Maderna, was on the run.

?He has been arrested and will be quizzed during his remand period,? a source in the CBI said.

Sources said the CBI had summoned his wife and children for questioning Friday but they did not turn up.

A medical examination of Sahiram Bishnoi was conducted after he was produced in the court.