Bhanwari Devi murder case: Ex-minister Mahipal Maderna, five others get bail

Jodhpur: The Rajasthan High Court High on Tuesday granted bail to former state minister Mahipal Maderna and five others in the Bhanwari Devi abduction and murder case. The others granted bail are Amarchand, husband of Bhanwari Devi, Shahabuddin, Bishnaram Bishnoi, Kailash Jakhar and Baldev. With this, all 16 accused have been given bail except Indra Bishnoi, who is yet to move a bail application.

According to a counsel for the petitioners, the granting of bail to an accused by the Supreme Court set the precedent for bail to all accused.

The apex court had granted bail to Parasram Bishnoi on the ground that the trial had taken inordinately long time and the accused have already served around 10 years in jail. Before this, former Congress MLA Malkhan Singh Bishnoi had been granted bail on August 10. All accused had moved the HC after the trial court rejected their bail applications.

Bhanwari Devi, who was posted as an auxiliary nurse midwife at a sub-centre in Jaliwara village of Jodhpur, had gone missing in September 2011. Her husband Amarchand, who was later found to be involved in the case, had alleged that she was abducted at the behest of Mahipal Maderna, who at that time was the state water resources minister in the Congress government.

When the CD of Maderna with Bhanwari came out in public domain, Maderna was sacked by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and later he was arrested by the CBI.