Jodhpur:
In a fresh twist to the Bhanwari Devi case, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) today arrested her husband, Amarchand Nat. The agency contended that Mr Nat did not cooperate during questioning and hence, was taken into custody.
"The Central Bureau of Investigation has today arrested husband of Bhanwari Devi in an on-going investigation in a case relating to her alleged abduction. He has been examined by CBI in this connection," CBI spokesperson Dharini Mishra said in New Delhi.
Interestingly, Mr Nat had earlier cried foul over Bhanwari's disappearance, alleging that she had been abducted at the behest of sacked Rajasthan minister Mahipal Maderna. Bhanwari, an auxiliary midwife-nurse, had gone missing on September 1.
Mr Nat's arrest came after he allegedly attempted to escape from the CBI questioning centre in Jodhpur yesterday when confronted with some disturbing questions by the sleuths regarding the case of his wife's alleged abduction.
Sources in the agency said he was immediately overpowered but remained uncooperative during the questioning session.
The CBI has started probing the activities of Amarchand Nat and are not ruling out his role in the entire episode. It is alleged that he was present at Pipda on September 1, the day Bhanwari Devi went missing.
Amarchand Nat's arrest comes after Mr Maderna was arrested on Friday after the CBI filed its first chargesheet in the Rajasthan High Court, naming him and three other accused, Shahabuddin, Sohan Lal and Balia.
Parasram Bishnoi, the brother of Congress MLA from Luni, Malkhan Singh, was also arrested for his alleged involvement in the case.