Jodhpur:
With the Rajasthan High Court directing it to expedite its probe into Bhanwari Devi's disappearance, the Centre Bureau of Investigation is set to question her husband, Amar Chand Nat. He has alleged that Bhanwari Devi, missing since September 1, was abducted by associates of former water resources minister Mahipal Maderna.
The agency has already questioned Mr Maderna and another Congress leader, Luni MLA Malkhan Singh. Both have acknowledged that they have had affairs with the missing midwife-nurse. The CBI has now brought Amar Chand Nat to Jodhpur for questioning.
The former minister was allegedly filmed with 36-year-old Bhanwari Devi and a CD was circulated when she went missing from her home near Jodhpur on September 1. He, however, denies having a hand in her disappearance and claims that he was introduced to Bhanwari Devi by Pushkar Singh.
On the basis of several tapes and audio clips which it has reportedly recovered, the CBI is investigating whether Bhanwari Devi tried to blackmail Mr Maderna for crores of rupees, threatening to make their relationship public.
The CBI has questioned Mr Maderna over his alleged links with Shahabuddin and Sohan Lal Vishnoi, two men arrested in the case. They are said to have made several calls to Mr Maderna before Bhanwari Devi went missing.
The CBI, which took over the case last month, is also looking into audio tapes of conversations purportedly between Bhanwari Devi and Mr Singh's sister, Indira Bishnoi, in which Pushkar Singh's name is said to be mentioned repeatedly.
The High Court took stock of the CBI investigations on Monday and has asked for a progress report on November 24.
The case came as a huge embarrassment for chief minister Ashok Gehlot, who was forced to drop Mr Maderna from his cabinet on October 16, after a court directed that a case of abduction and murder be registered against him. On Sunday, Mr Maderna was suspended from the Congress.