Jodhpur: The trial of Bhanwari Devi abduction
and murder case would begin in a local here from April 20.
The ST/SC court gave this date after pleas from both
the sides.
All the 13 accused (except Pukhraj, Dinesh, Reshmaram
and absconding Indira) were produced in the court on Monday after
the committal of the case from the CBI court.
After the court expressed its wish to start the trial,
the counsels of both the sides requested the court to defer
the trial till April 20.
They argued that the chargesheet of the remaining accused
is to be filed yet so the trail of all the accused could be
initiated together.
Admitting the pleas, the court listed the matter for
trial on April 20.
Sohan Lal, Shahbuddin, Balia, Mahipal, Malkhan, Parasram,
Sahiram, Umesharam, Amarchand, Bishnaram, Ashok, Omprakash and
Kailash were produced in the court today.
All the accused except absconding Indira Bishnoi, who
is the sister of ruling party MLA Malkhan Singh, are behind
bars for their alleged involvement in the case.
Bhanwari Devi, 36, had gone missing from Jodhpur's
Bilara area on September one last year following which her
husband Amarchand, who is now in jail, had filed a habeas
corpus petition in the High Court.
After the state government ordered a CBI probe into the
case, the agency arrested Mahipal Maderna and Congress MLA
Malkhan Singh in December last year for their alleged
involvement in the case.
Soon after her death, a sleaze CD was circulated
allegedly featuring Maderna and Bhanwari.
Maderna was removed by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot from
his ministry in October after his name cropped up in the case.
Agency sources had said that Maderna and Malkhan Singh
were being blackmailed by Bhanwari Devi who was allegedly
having relations with them and threatened to expose them which
led to her killing.
PTI
First Published: Monday, April 02, 2012, 09:24