New Delhi, Dec 6: A Union Minister is likely to be interrogated by the CBI in connection with the Bhanwari Devi case, which had rocked the Congress party in Rajasthan, according to highly placed sources, says a media report.
Sources said the sudden decision to shift sacked Rajasthan Minister Mahipal Maderna to Delhi on Sunday by the CBI, though primarily taken to interrogate him and conduct a lie detector test on him, was also because it wants to question a Central Minister in the presence of Maderna.
CBI has told the court that Maderna was not cooperating in the investigation.
Source said that during the interrogation of Congress MLA Malkhan Singh, his brother Parasram Bishnoi, who has already been arrested, and three other accused Sohan Lal, Shahbuddin and Baldev, the name of a Union Minister cropped up several times.
Indira Bishnoi, sister of Malkhan Singh, during her interrogation, has revealed the name of the Central Minister and also those who were willing to pay up to Rs 7 crore to get the CD in which Maderna is seen in a compromising position with the nurse.
On the face of it, the CBI maintains that the reason for shifting Maderna to Delhi was taken as his family members, relatives and his lawyers were coming to meet him frequently with and without permission of the court.
While on the one hand, it was obstructing his interrogation, on the other, it was helping Maderna to pass on some crucial information through them to certain high-ups in the Congress party and others.
Meanwhile, the CBI has zeroed in on a Jodhpur gang for allegedly disposing of the body of missing nurse Bhanwari Devi at the behest of her alleged abductors.
The CBI announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh for information on Bishna Ram Bishnoi, the leader of the gang, who is absconding.
According to a CBI source, Bishnoi is currently facing around 44 cases of serious crimes in Jodhpur and other districts.
“There were two gangs involved in the crime. The first -comprising arrested suspects Shahabuddin, Sohan Lal and absconding suspect Sahi Ram Bishnoi -had abducted Bhanwari Devi. Shahabuddin revealed that he had then subcontracted the job of disposing off her body to Bishnoi's gang,“ said the source.
It is suspected that Shahabuddin, who was arrested on October 22, provided the lead on Bishnoi.
“While Shahabuddin claimed he had only abducted her, we suspect he and Sohan Lal might have killed her before handing over the body to Bishnoi. Bishnoi could have killed her as well,“ said the source.
The CBI suspects Bhanwari was kidnapped, and possibly eliminated, allegedly at the behest of former Rajasthan minister Mahipal Maderna since she was blackmailing him with a sex CD.
Maderna, who was arrested by the CBI last week, was interrogated in Delhi on Monday. He has denied any role in her abduction or murder, while admitting to having been sexually involved with her.
“Maderna is still evasive in his answers, he feigns ignorance about events related to the crime,“ said the source.
The CBI is likely to make him undergo scientific tests including polygraph, brain-mapping and narco analysis.
The agency feels that Maderna's absence in Jodhpur might “embolden important witnesses to turn up and talk about the crime“.
