Thaindian News

Jodhpur, Dec 14 (IANS) The CBI Wednesday searched some properties here belonging to Rajasthan Congress legislator Malkhan Singh Bishnoi as he continued to evade questioning in a case related to disappearance of nurse Bhanwari Devi, a source said.

“The CBI teams had gone to his residence Wednesday. Three commercial premises belonging to him in Jodhpur were also searched. He was not found at any of these places,” the source told IANS.

“Malkhan Singh Bishnoi has been served three notices requiring him to appear before the CBI for questioning, but he has ignored all of them,” sources said.

He did not turn up for questioning Wednesday despite the fact that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had pasted a notice outside his residence in Jodhpur the day before.

The notice warned that the CBI would take legal steps against him if he failed to present himself for questioning.

Bishnoi, legislator from Luni assembly constituency, is alleged to have been close to the nurse, missing since Sep 1 and is feared dead.

His brother Parasram Bishnoi was arrested Dec 2 along with sacked Rajasthan minister Mahipal Maderna, who allegedly features on a CD in a compromising position with the nurse.

An additional chief judicial magistrate extended the CBI custody of Amarchand, husband of Bhanwari Devi, till Dec 20. The agency had presented him before the court after completion of his CBI remand Wednesday.

He was arrested by the CBI Dec 8 after he failed to give satisfactory answers to some persistent questioning by the agency, an officer said.

Amarchand had accused Maderna of being involved in his wife’s disappearance.

He allegedly escaped from a circuit house in Jodhpur where he was being interrogation by CBI officials Dec 7. The CBI, with the help of police, launched a massive hunt and traced him in two hours.

According to sources, Amarchand tried to flee as he was unable to reply to some tough questions. It is suspected that Amarchand was aware of the conspiracy behind the disappearance of his wife.

He claimed his wife was abducted at the behest of Maderna, who has been arrested by the CBI.

Amarchand’s arrest had come as a big surprise as he was the first person to approach a court and register a complaint of his wife’s alleged rape, murder and abduction against Maderna.

In the CBI charge sheet filed before the court earlier, three men - Shahabuddin, Baliya and Sohanlal - were charged with abduction with an intent to kill and criminal conspiracy. They were also booked under various sections of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.