Jodhpur:
A man who allegedly knows how and why Bhanwari Devi was killed has surrendered in a Rajasthan court. Sahi Ram Bishnoi had been missing since the nurse disappeared on September 1.
CBI officials handling the case expect him to reveal how Bhanwari Devi's body was disposed of. Mr Bishnoi will remain in the CBI's custody till January 2. The police believe that he was paid to orchestrate Bhanwari's abduction and murder.
Bhanwari Devi, a nurse and trained midwife who had a penchant for starring in music videos and dangerous liaisons with politicians, disappeared amid reports that she had a CD of herself with Mahipal Maderna, who was a senior minister in the Rajasthan government. The CBI, which took over the probe in October, has been investigating whether Bhanwari Devi tried to blackmail Mr Maderna for money, threatening to make their relationship public.
Mr Maderna, who was dismissed from the government following allegations of his involvement in the case, was arrested on December 3 after several rounds of questioning by the CBI. He was reportedly introduced to Bhanwari by another Congress leader, Luni MLA Malkhan Singh, who was also arrested earlier this week.
Phone conversations that have surfaced show Bhanwari Devi talking to Mr Singh's sister, discussing the amount of money she wanted Mr Maderna to pay to keep their relationship secret.
Sahi Ram, a former Deputy Zila Pramukh of Jodhpur, is close to both Mr Maderna and Mr Singh. The CBI, which has records of several mobile phone calls between Sahi Ram and Mr Maderna after Bhanwari Devi went missing, claims that he was the link between the persons who carried out the killing and the masterminds. The agency believes that when Bhanwari's body was disposed of, the killers recorded some evidence and showed it to Sahi Ram.
Bhanwari's husband, Amarchand, has reportedly confessed to the CBI that he was paid to send her alone on a bus ride on the day that she disappeared. He had initially claimed that he had taken his car for repairs on that day. The claim was subsequently proved to be false.
Amarchand also alleges that his youngest child was fathered by Mr Singh. After Bhanwari Devi went missing, he had alleged that she was abducted at the behest of Mr Maderna and his associates, that she had been killed and that her body was still missing. He was arrested earlier this month after he tried to run away during questioning by the CBI.