Bhanwari Devi murder: Bishna Ram arrested in Pune

JODHPUR: Bishna Ram Bishnoi, an accused in Bhanwari Devi murder case, was today arrested by police in Maharashtra and handed over to CBI which will produce him before a special court here in the next two days.

Official sources said that Bishnoi, a Rajasthan-based gangster, was arrested in Pune for his alleged involvement in the abduction and murder of Bhanwari Devi.

They said Bishnoi, who belongs to Jaloda village, after taking possession of Bhanwari's body from his brother and gangster Om Prakash near Nevra Road had headed back in the direction of Phalodi to dispose it off.

" Maharashtra Police has arrested Bishna Ram. CBI has got his transit remand and he will be produced before a Special CBI court here," an official of the investigating agency said.

A CBI team, which is camping in the Jaloda village, has collected crucial evidence using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) from the site which will be sent for forensic examinations, the sources said.

"Officials have got important leads in the case which are being verified," a CBI spokesperson said.

The CBI officials are understood to have found evidence that she might have been killed somewhere in the operation area of Bishnois.

Bhanwari Devi had gone missing from Jodhpur's Bilara area on September 1 last year.

The probe agency has identified the area based on the statements of all the suspects alleged to have been involved in her disappearance.

The agency had interrogated sacked Rajasthan Minister Mahipal Maderna's wife Leela Maderna and Congress legislator Malkhan Bishnoi's son in this connection.

While Maderna was arrested on December 3, Congress MLA Malkhan was arrested on December 19 for his alleged involvement in the case.

The CBI had yesterday arrested Kailash Jakhar, from a truck on the Jodhpur-Ajmer highway following a tip off. Jakhar, an active member of the Bishnoi's gang, carried a cash reward of Rs five lakh and was wanted by the CBI in the case.