Jodhpur:
The CBI says former Rajasthan minister Mahipal Singh Maderna and a former Congress MLA Malkhan Singh together plotted the abduction and murder of nurse Bhanwari Devi, and has charged both men with murder, abduction, criminal conspiracy and destruction of evidence. Bhanwari's husband, Amarchand, has been charged with criminal conspiracy, destruction of evidence and abduction. Ten other people accused in the case have been charged under various sections.
Bhanwari Devi, a trained midwife and nurse, went missing in September last year and the remains of her body were discovered by the CBI four months later. The investigating agency filed its second chargesheet in the case in a Jodhpur court today. In the 97-page document, the CBI tells a morbid story of sex, deceit, plot and counter-plot and finally, the gruesome murder of Bhanwari Devi.
The CBI says Bhanwari Devi was introduced to Mahipal Singh Maderna by ex-MLA Malkhan Singh who had allegedly had an affair with the nurse. The chargesheet filed today claims that Malkhan Singh's sister, Indira Bishnoi, convinced Bhanwari to record a sex CD with Mr Maderna, who was then Rajasthan's Minister for Water Resources. The CBI says Ms Bishnoi allegedly wanted to disgrace Mr Maderna, so that her brother could pitch for the minister's post. Bhanwari, the investigating agency says, instead began blackmailing Mr Maderna with the CD of the two of them together.
Sohanlal, hired by Malkhan Singh, stole the CD from Bhanwari Devi's house and distributed copies among journalists, who made it public, the CBI says. Now, the CBI chargesheet says, there were two men fed up of meeting Bhanwari Devi's demands: Mr Maderna, who was being blackmailed, and Malkhan Singh, who the CBI claims, is the father of Bhanwari's youngest child and was constantly being asked for money by her.
So, says the CBI, the two political rivals, plotted together to get rid of Bhanwari Devi. They allegedly hired two men Sohanlal and Shahabuddin to kidnap the nurse from a bus and kill her.
Two other men, Bishna Ram and Kailash Jakhar, were allegedly assigned to get rid of her corpse, according to the CBI. The team had reportedly been identified and assimilated by Sahi Ram, known to be a close aide of Mr Maderna.
Then, another twist in the tale, When Bhanwari disappeared on September 1, 2011, Indira Bishnoi convinced Bhanwari's husband Amarchand to file a complaint naming Mr Maderna, who was forced to resign. Mr Maderna was later arrested along with ex-MLA Malkhan Singh. The CBI, earlier this week, said that both men should be moved into separate prisons since they were trying to influence witnesses. The CBI has also charged both men under the SC/ST Act in the chargesheet filed today.
Bhanwari's husband Amarchand originally fought in court to have the case handed over to the CBI and also campaigned for Mr Maderna to be investigated for rape and murder. He was arrested after he allegedly attempted to escape from the CBI questioning centre in Jodhpur. The agency contended that he did not cooperate during questioning and hence was taken into custody. The CBI later claimed that its probe has found that he too was part of the murder plan and was offered Rs 10 lakh to be part of the conspiracy.
In the first chargesheet filed in December, the CBI had not specified the charges against Mr Maderna; the agency said it was investigating the ex-minister's role. At that time, Bhanwari's murder had also not yet been established. So the chargesheet dealt with her rape and abduction.
Then, in January, the remains of her body were found at the Jaloda village near Jodhpur. The CBI found a pit where Bhanwari's corpse had been set on fire; some remains were thrown into a canal nearby. Divers recovered burnt bones, a broken locket, a toe-ring, a tooth. Also found nearby - the bat that was allegedly used to smash her skull. This gory map of the crime-scene formed the basis for the CBI's new chargesheet, which was brought to the courtroom today along with supporting documents in two cartons and a tin box. The CBI has examined 300 witnesses in the case.