Bhanwari case: MLA Malkhan Singh arrested

PTI

Jaipur, 20 December 2011: In a much anticipated development, Congress MLA Malkhan Singh Bishnoi was arrested by the CBI on Monday. The MLA was arrested in the sensational Bhanwari Devi case in which the former Rajasthan minister Mahipal Maderna is also embroiled.

 

Malkhan Singh was evading interrogation for last few days. He was arrested after he surfaced for questioning today. The MLA, who appeared at the Circuit House remained uncooperative prompting the sleuths to arrest him, CBI sources said.

 

Malkhan Singh’s sister, Indra Vishnoi, who also is one of the main suspects in the case and has been interrogated a number of times, is also absconding apparently to evade CBI summons. The Congress MLA’s brother Parasram Vishnoi has already been arrested with Maderna.

 

Mahipal Maderna was dismissed from the Cabinet by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot after his name was dragged in the case of the missing nurse. Bhanwari Devi was said to be close to the former minister and supposedly had a relation with him. The same has been acknowledged by Maderna in front of the CBI.

 

The Bhanwari Devi case has captured the imagination of the media, more so because the body of the missing nurse has yet to be recovered. The case has also come as a huge embarrassment for the ruling Congress government in the state.

 

Earlier today the CBI grilled former Rajasthan Minister Mahipal Maderna’s wife Leela and two sons of MLA Malkhan Singh in connection with the Bhanwari Devi abduction case.

 

Osian MLA Maderna is under judicial custody, while Luni MLA Singh was skipping questioning for the past several days despite repeated summons.

 

The agency had questioned Singh’s sons a few times to know the whereabouts of their father, who had sought exemption from questioning on health grounds till last Friday by moving an application in the court, but he did not appear before the CBI team so far for another round of questioning.

 

Bhanwari Devi, 36, posted as an auxiliary nurse at a sub-centre in Jaliwada village, went missing on September 1. Her husband Amarchand alleged that she was abducted at the behest of Maderna.

 

The CBI has also arrested Amar Chand on charges of not cooperating with the investigation. Shahbuddin, Baldev and Sohan Ram are the other accused who are behind bars in connection with the sensational case, while two accused Sahiram and Bishnaram are still absconding.