Thaindian News

Jodhpur, Dec 31 (IANS) A court here Saturday extended till Jan 2 the CBI custody of Congress legislator Malkhan Singh Bishnoi, arrested in connection with the disappearance of nurse Bhanwari Devi, officials said.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) presented him in the court of an additional chief judicial magistrate at the end of his remand period.

The legislator from Luni constituency was arrested Dec 19 by the CBI after questioning. He was then remanded in CBI custody till Dec 31.

“He has been quizzed for 12 days and CBI has got some clinching evidence. This is being verified,” a source in the CBI told IANS.

Bishnoi is alleged to have been close to the nurse, who is untraceable since Sep 1 and is feared dead.

Bishnoi was suspended from the primary membership of the Congress a day after he was arrested.

Meanwhile, another suspect, Omprakash Bishnoi, who was arrested Friday, was also presented in the same court Saturday. He was sent to CBI custody till Jan 4.

Omprakash Bishnoi is the brother of Bishnaram Bishnoi, a key suspect in the case who has been on the run and untraced for long. The CBI is interrogating Omprakash to trace Bishnaram, who carries a cash reward of Rs.500,000 on his head.

Former minister and legislator Mahipal Maderna, who allegedly featured in a CD in a compromising position with the nurse, was also suspended from the primary membership of the Congress over his alleged role in the case. He too has been arrested by the CBI.

The agency arrested Maderna Dec 3. It was alleged that he involved Sahiram Bishnoi, a small-time politician from Jodhpur, for the job. Sahiram allegedly assigned the task to kidnap the nurse 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, Sahiram Bishnoi, his friend Umesharam Bishnoi, Bhanwari’s husband Amarchand and Malkhan’s brother Parasram Bishnoi in the case.

The CBI is also carrying out raids in search of Malkhan’s sister Indra Bishnoi.

In a CBI charge sheet filed before the court earlier, three men - 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.