Charges framed against main accused in Bhanwari case

The Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) court hearing the Bhanwari Devi murder case in Jodhpur has framed charges against one of the key accused Malkhan Singh Bishnoi, a legislator.

Bishnoi who is lodged in the Ajmer Central jail had not appeared before the ACJM (SC/ST) court on health grounds. On Wednesday, he was brought in an ambulance under heavy police protection.

The charges

“He has been charged with murder, criminal conspiracy, abduction with intent of murder and destruction of evidence of IPC besides various sections of SC/ST Act,” Senior Special Counsel for CBI, Ashok Joshi said.

The ACJM (SC/ST) court had framed the charges against all the accused on October 4, but the main accused Bishnoi and Mahipal Maderna were not present in the court. Malkhan could not be taken to court on grounds of ill-health while Mahipal Maderna was bereaved due to the death of his mother.

However, Maderna had appeared in the court in its next hearing on October 15 and the charges were read out to him But Malkhan could not appear on security grounds.

Crime saga

Bhanwari Devi, who was an auxiliary nurse, had gone missing from Jodhpur’s Bilara area on September 1 last year.

Following the CBI probe, it was found that she was allegedly abducted and killed and her body burnt at Jaloda. Her remains and belongings were later dumped in the Rajiv Gandhi Lift Canal, which were recovered by the CBI.