CBI files FIR in Bhanwari Devi case

The nurse and folk singer from Jodhpur went missing on September 1 when she was going to a nearby village for personal reasons

CBI files FIR in Bhanwari Devi case

The nurse and folk singer from Jodhpur went missing on September 1 when she was going to a nearby village for personal reasons

Five weeks after Jodhpur nurse and folk singer Bhanwari Devi went missing, the central bureau of investigation registered an FIR in connection with the case. The Central Bureau of Investigation registered a case on Tuesday relating to the alleged abduction of Bhanwari Devi, who is a resident of village Berunda, Jodhpur district (Rajasthan), on the request of Rajasthan government and further notification from Government of India.

Bhanwari Devi. File pics

Search is on: CBI Office in New Delhi.

Bhanwari Devi was allegedly abducted after she left her house for Bilada on September 1 by Rajasthan roadway bus for collecting the payment of her car, which was reportedly sold to a person of village Tilbasni, Jodhpur (Rajasthan). Her husband tried to locate her by making repeated calls but she was untraceable. The alleged accused in the case, Shahbuddin, the alleged key executer, and former deputy district head Sahiram Vaishnavi, were reported to be absconding.

Shahbuddin, alleged to have passed Bhanwari on to a gang from another state, called her 69 times in six days before she went missing. Meanwhile, involvement of state water resources minister Mahipal Maderna, who was seen attending a function along with Shahbuddin in a photograph, was also being looked into. Maderna has been accused of kidnapping and murdering Bhanwari Devi. He, however, refrained from making any statement regarding the issue. "The matter is sub judice. I would not like to comment," Maderna had said. Bhanwari Devi's husband filed a complaint of kidnapping and suspected murder in Bilada's trial court on September 21.