New Delhi: Was Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot aware of missing nurse Bhanwari Devi's alleged links with former Water Resources minister Mahipal Maderna, who now faces allegations of kidnapping and murdering her and the threat looming over her?
A Congress MLC's sister who was questioned by the CBI, claims that Bhanwari had met Gehlot a-year-and-a-half back and informed him about the controversial CD allegedly showing her and Maderna in a compromising position.
Over two months after Bhanwari Devi now feared dead went missing mysteriously, Indira Devi the sister of Luni Congress MLA Malkhan Singh said after being questioned by the CBI that Bhanwari had met Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and informed him about the controversial CD.
"Bhanwari Devi told me that she had met the CM around one and half years ago and told everything to the CM. She also handed over the CD. CM told his workers to solve this problem.
The agency, probing the case, interrogated Indira Bishnoi, sister of Malkhan Singh Bishnoi, MLA from Luni.
A few audio clips of purported conversation of Bhanwari Devi with Sohanlal, one of the accused, and Indira Devi,
have come to light.
This was the second time Indira was interrogated by CBI which had quizzed her on November 3 also.
Indira later told the the media that Bhanwari wanted a 'settlement of the deal' with former Water Resources Minister
Mahipal Maderna and she had approached even the Pali MP Badri Ram Jakhar.
Bhanwari's husband Amarchand had alleged she was abducted at the behest of Mahipal Maderna and his associates.
The charges were denied by Maderna who was sacked by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on October 16.
Indira said she was not aware of the audio clips bearing her purported voice and claimed to have not met or talked to Bhanwari Devi for the past one year.
She said that I have nothing to do with the auxilary nurse's going missing.
"It is a high-level political conspiracy to implicate me and my family and to malign the legacy of Ram Singh Bishnoi", she alleged to the media.
Indira alleged she was being "harassed and victimized by people with vested interests".
Regarding her contacts with Bhanwari Devi, she said "our family has a strong political background and politicians have many contacts, which should not be seen with suspicion".
CBI also called suspended sub inspector Lakha Ram Choudhary for interrogation.
His name purportedly figures in the purported taped conversation between Bhanwari Devi and Sohan Lal Bishnoi. His
cell number was also found in the call list of Bhanwari Devi.
Choudhary was the SHO of Osian police station when Bhanwari Devi went missing and was transferred to Jaisalmer a few days before his suspension.
CBI has also focused its attention on Sahi Ram Bishnoi who is absconding and carries a cash reward of Rs one lakh.
The investigation agency has also filed an application in the CBI court seeking the court's permission to declare him an absconder. He has been termed by the police as a conspirator in the case police.
Meanwhile, widening his probe, CBI is also investigating the alleged role of certain IAS and RAS officers in the Bhanwari Devi disappearance case.
"Role of some government officers who have been in touch with Bhanwari is also being ascertained by CBI. Their names cropped up during investigation," said sources privy to the investigation.
However, they did not disclose the names of the officers.
A CBI spokesman on Monday rejected reports that the agency had recovered CDs of the missing nurse from a bank locker in Ajmer.
"The rumour reported in a section of media that CBI has recovered 150 CDs of Bhanwari Devi in a bank locker are completely incorrect," the spokesperson said.
(With additional inputs from PTI)
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