CBI gets threats in Bhanwari case

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is probing the high-profile Bhanwari Devi case, on Tuesday said it is receiving threats and its witnesses in the case are being forced to turn hostile.

During hearing of the habeas corpus petition filed by Bhanwari’s husband Amarchand, agency counsel Panne Singh told the Rajasthan High Court that the CBI has done a fair investigation in this case, in which many influential politicians were involved.

“Out of the 17 accused, 16 have been arrested and one is absconding. Attempts to arrest the remaining one are going on. But the CBI is constantly under pressure because of the involvement of high profile persons and the witnesses are also being threatened thereby affecting the investigation,” Singh said in a statement before the court.

Some key witnesses have also gone missing due to this pressure, he added.

However, the division bench comprising justice Govind Mathur and justice K C Joshi asked him to submit an affidavit in the court instead of making verbal statements, and deferred the hearing till February 27.

Before this, additional advocate general Anand Purohit pleaded the court to declare the petition infructuous. But in absence of the chargesheet and written submission, the court refused to grant Purohit’s plea.

The agency had told the court in the previous hearing last month that Bhanwari Devi is no more alive and requested the court to quash the habeas corpus petition filed by Amarchand.

However, the court refused to quash the petition and asked CBI to produce the final report on February 21.

Bhanwari Devi, who allegedly featured in a compromising position with sacked Rajasthan minister Mahipal Maderna in a CD, had gone missing since September 1, 2011.

She is believed to have been murdered and her body was burnt. Maderna and Congress legislator from Luni constituency Malkhan Singh are among those who have been arrested in the case.