Thaindian News

Jodhpur, Jan 9 (IANS) A Rajasthan court here extended till Jan 12 the CBI custody of Omprakash Bishnoi arrested for allegedly disposing of nurse Bhanwari Devi’s body after burning her to death last year, officials said.

Omprakash is the brother of Bishnaram Bishnoi who was held near Pune by Maharashtra police Jan 4. The CBI announced a cash reward of Rs.500,000 on Bishnaram’s arrest as it suspected that he was involved in the disposal of the nurse’s body.

“Omprakash was produced in the court of an additional chief judicial magistrate here and his Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) remand was extended till Jan 12,” an officer said.

Omprakash led the investigators to a place near Jaloda village where the nurse was allegedly brunt to death and her remains were dumped in a canal.

The CBI will Tuesday submit a status report in the Rajasthan High Court’s Jodhpur bench on the investigation.

“The case has almost been cracked as the remains of the nurse’s body have been recovered. Son of the nurse, Sahil, has confirmed that some of the items recovered from a 25-foot-deep crater and the canal, including a watch and some jewellery, belong to her,” said a source close to the CBI.

Teams of Central Forensic Science Laboratory and the CBI recovered two guns, a gunny bag, a bat, some bone fragments, a charred mobile phone, ear rings, a locket, watch and bracelet during a search that continued for three days.

Bhanwari Devi, allegedly shown in a compromising position with sacked Rajasthan minister Mahipal Maderna in a CD, had gone missing Sep 1 last year.

The case has seen the arrest of Maderna and Congress legislator from Luni constituency Malkhan Singh.

In a charge sheet filed earlier by the CBI, it was alleged that three men abducted the nurse from Jodhpur’s Bilara area Sep 1, killed her and then gave her body to a gang of criminals headed by Bishnaram Bishnoi.

According to sources close to the CBI, Maderna and Malkhan Singh were hand-in-glove in the entire conspiracy as the nurse was blackmailing both of them.

The two politicians allegedly roped in Sahiram Bishnoi, who hired Sohan Lal, Balia and Shahabuddin for the task of abducting the nurse.

Maderna, Malkhan Singh, the three kidnappers and Sahiram along with Amarchand, husband of Bhanwari Devi, have been arrested by the CBI. Amarchand is at present in judicial custody.

The CBI arrested Malkhan Singh’s brother Parasram Bishnoi, as well as two others - Umesharam and Omprakash Bishnoi.