Bhanwari Devi case: Court issues notice to CBI chief, officials

Jodhpur, April 19 (IANS) The Rajasthan High Court Thursday issued show-cause notices to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) director and other agency officers on allegations of harassment by a local politician during investigation into the case of missing nurse Bhanwari Devi, a lawyer said.

The notices were issued to CBI director, a deputy inspector general of police (DIG), a superintendent of police (SP) and an inspector-rank officer, the lawyer added.

Shabhu Singh Khetasar, a former Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) leader, had approached the Rajasthan High Court April 16 alleging that he was being repeatedly called for interrogation.

During the previous state assembly elections, Khetasar had lost to Congress leader Mahipal Maderna who was later sacked from the cabinet and was arrested for his alleged role in the kidnap and murder of nurse Bhanwari Devi Sep 1. Maderna was shown in a compromising position with the nurse on a CD.

Sources said that the CBI suspects Khetasar to be involved in making the CD public.

"My client was being unnecessarily harassed by the CBI on the pretext of interrogation. Even his family members were called for questioning when he was admitted to a hospital in Gujarat for treatment," said Khetasar's lawyer Pushpendra Singh.

The CBI has claimed in a chargesheet filed in the case earlier that Maderna and Congress legislator Malkhan Singh Bishnoi and Bishnoi's sister Indra Bishnoi had hired people to eliminate Bhanwari Devi.

It was alleged that three kidnappers -- Shahabuddin, Sohan Lal and Baldev Jat alias Balia -- kidnapped Bhanwari from Bilara Sep 1, killed her and handed her body to a gang of criminals headed by Bishnaram Bishnoi who burnt her to ashes and dumped her remains in a canal.