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CBI doubles reward for info; conducts raids
In its bid to find a substantive lead in the sensational Bhanwari Devi disappearance case, the CBI on Tuesday doubled the reward to `010 lakh to anyone providing credible information about the missing nurse and also searched eight locations in and around Jodhpur.
Places raided by the CBI include a farm house of sacked Rajasthan Minister Mahipal Maderna, residences of Congress MLA Malkhan Singh, his brother Parasram and sister Indira Bishnoi.
Sources said a laptop has been recovered from the residence of Indira whose conversation with Bhanwari had established the existence of a video CD in which the nurse was allegedly seen in a compromising position with Maderna.
The 20-member team led by CBI Joint Director RP Agarwal is camping in the State to crack the case. The CBI teams have also visited limestone kilns around Jodhpur in order to find some clues in the case. The investigators suspect that Bhanwari’s body could have been done away with after being killed by the conspirators in the case.
A CD showing Maderna and Malkhan in a compromising position with 36-year-old Bhanwari, an auxiliary nurse at a sub-centre in Jaliwada village, around 120 km from Jodhpur, had been aired last week by some television news channels. Bhanwari has been missing from Bilara since September 1 this year.
Meanwhile, in a setback to CBI, a Rajasthan court turned down its plea for undertaking narco-analysis, brain mapping and polygraph tests on Shahbuddin, a key accused in the case, despite the agency pleading that it was the “only ray of hope” to crack the case.
The CBI had moved an application in the designated court for the lie-detection and other tests on November 9, citing Shahbuddin’s non-cooperation in investigation. Earlier, Shahbuddin had also refused to undergo the tests. Shahbuddin’s friend, Rehana who is being questioned by the CBI has also been evasive, sources said.
“The CBI has so far not been able to extract substantial information from him (Shahbuddin) and this is the only ray of hope for it in order to extract some crucial information leading to cracking of the case,” the CBI counsel argued in the Jodhpur court.
Shahbuddin had surrendered on October 22 and after 15 days of sustained interrogation by the CBI, he was sent to judicial custody.
Bhanwari’s husband Amarchand had alleged she was abducted at the behest of Maderna. Bhanwari, sources said, was introduced to Maderna some years back by Malkhan, who had already admitted to CBI that he knew her. Maderna has also admitted to his dalliance with Bhanwari but has been evasive on the knowledge of the missing nurse’s whereabouts immediately before her disappearance.
The CBI team that raided the premises of key suspects, Maderna and Malkhan, was attacked allegedly by their supporters after its return from the search operation.
Indira Bishnoi, who made the startling revelations that Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot was aware of the CD, in which Maderna is seen in a compromising position with the nurse and asked Bhanwari Devi to settle he matter directly with Maderna, has been quizzed several times by the CBI.
Parasram Bishnoi is also a local Congress leader and had already been questioned by the CBI in Bhanwari Devi kidnapping case .
In its bid to find a substantive lead in the sensational Bhanwari Devi disappearance case, the CBI on Tuesday doubled the reward to `010 lakh to anyone providing credible information about the missing nurse and also searched eight locations in and around Jodhpur.
Places raided by the CBI include a farm house of sacked Rajasthan Minister Mahipal Maderna, residences of Congress MLA Malkhan Singh, his brother Parasram and sister Indira Bishnoi.
Sources said a laptop has been recovered from the residence of Indira whose conversation with Bhanwari had established the existence of a video CD in which the nurse was allegedly seen in a compromising position with Maderna.
The 20-member team led by CBI Joint Director RP Agarwal is camping in the State to crack the case. The CBI teams have also visited limestone kilns around Jodhpur in order to find some clues in the case. The investigators suspect that Bhanwari’s body could have been done away with after being killed by the conspirators in the case.
A CD showing Maderna and Malkhan in a compromising position with 36-year-old Bhanwari, an auxiliary nurse at a sub-centre in Jaliwada village, around 120 km from Jodhpur, had been aired last week by some television news channels. Bhanwari has been missing from Bilara since September 1 this year.
Meanwhile, in a setback to CBI, a Rajasthan court turned down its plea for undertaking narco-analysis, brain mapping and polygraph tests on Shahbuddin, a key accused in the case, despite the agency pleading that it was the “only ray of hope” to crack the case.
The CBI had moved an application in the designated court for the lie-detection and other tests on November 9, citing Shahbuddin’s non-cooperation in investigation. Earlier, Shahbuddin had also refused to undergo the tests. Shahbuddin’s friend, Rehana who is being questioned by the CBI has also been evasive, sources said.
“The CBI has so far not been able to extract substantial information from him (Shahbuddin) and this is the only ray of hope for it in order to extract some crucial information leading to cracking of the case,” the CBI counsel argued in the Jodhpur court.
Shahbuddin had surrendered on October 22 and after 15 days of sustained interrogation by the CBI, he was sent to judicial custody.
Bhanwari’s husband Amarchand had alleged she was abducted at the behest of Maderna. Bhanwari, sources said, was introduced to Maderna some years back by Malkhan, who had already admitted to CBI that he knew her. Maderna has also admitted to his dalliance with Bhanwari but has been evasive on the knowledge of the missing nurse’s whereabouts immediately before her disappearance.
The CBI team that raided the premises of key suspects, Maderna and Malkhan, was attacked allegedly by their supporters after its return from the search operation.
Indira Bishnoi, who made the startling revelations that Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot was aware of the CD, in which Maderna is seen in a compromising position with the nurse and asked Bhanwari Devi to settle he matter directly with Maderna, has been quizzed several times by the CBI.
Parasram Bishnoi is also a local Congress leader and had already been questioned by the CBI in Bhanwari Devi kidnapping case .
