Jodhpur: A CBI court here Saturday extended the judicial custody of Mahipal Maderna and Parasram, arrested for their alleged involvement in Bhanwari Devi abduction case, till January 6.
They were produced before the court of Jagdish Jyani, which extended their custody. Former Rajasthan Water Resource Minister Maderna, who represents Osian Assembly constituency, was sacked from the state cabinet on October 16 by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot after reports of his alleged involvement in missing of the 36-year-old nurse case surfaced.
Parasram is the brother of Congress MLA Malkhan Singh, who has also been arrested in the case and is presently under CBI custody where he is being interrogated. Apart from Maderna, Parasram and Malkhan, three more accused -- Baldev, Sohanlal and Shahbuddin -- have been apprehended so far in the case.
CBI also arrested Bhanwari`s husband Amarchand on charge of non-cooperation in the investigation, whereas a key conspirator Sahiram, who was being searched by the agency, surrendered in the court and was arrested by CBI yesterday.
Malkhan and Sahiram are under the CBI custody, while rest of the accused are under judicial custody.
Bhanwari, posted as auxiliary nurse and midwife at a sub-centre in Jaliwada village, around 120 km from Jodhpur, went missing on September 1 after a CD allegedly showing her and Maderna in a compromising position was circulated in the political circle.
The CBI took over the probe in the case from the state police on October 11 following a request from the Rajasthan government.
The CBI court also rejected an application of four accused to provide a copy of Amarchand`s statements recorded with the magistrate on December 22.
Counsel for Maderna, Malkhan Singh Bishnoi, Parasram Bishnoi and Amarchand had moved an application before the CBI court demanding the copy of the statements. But the counsel of CBI, SS Yadav, objected to it citing that it will affect the investigation and attempts can be made to influence Amarchand.
"We prayed the court to keep it secret until the CBI files the charge sheet," Yadav said.
Meanwhile, the SC/ST court rejected the anticipatory bail plea of Pukh Raj Bishnoi and Dinesh Bishnoi, against whom the CBI court had issued arrest warrants yesterday.
The CBI court had issued arrest warrants against Pukh Raj Bishnoi and Dinesh, who are son and nephew of Sohanlal, after CBI made a plea for their interrogation.
PTI