Daijiworld Media Network
Jaipur, Nov 10: Former water resources minister in Rajasthan's Ashok Gehlot ministry, Mahipal Maderna has finally admitted to his relationship with 36-year-old auxiliary nurse Bhanwari Devi, who has been missing since September 1 this year.
For the last several days, ever since fingers were pointed at the former minister, he had been repeatedly denying any kind of relation with Bhanwari Devi.
On Thursday, during interrogation by CBI sleuths at the Jodhpur Circuit House, Maderna reportedly accepted that he and Bhanwari had an affair. Earier, a CD was seen by Bhanwari's friends which showed her and Maderna in a compromising position. Later the CD went missing. Though the CBI confiscated the PC where the CD was copied, the content was found to be deleted from the system.
The CBI team camping in Circuit House in Jodhpur for investigating the missing case of Bhanwari Devi, has to give an update of its progress to the Rajasthan High Court on Friday, November 11.
According to a news agency, the CBI today interrogated Maderna for at least six hours before he accepted the key fact of his relationship with Bhanwari Devi. Apart from this, several other factors were disclosed, it is learnt. But later, Maderna began feeling uneasy due to variation in his blood pressure, and requested the CBI to close the interrogation for the day. He reportedly assured the CBI sleuths that he would co-operate fully and continue to participate in the interrogation on Friday.
The Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government is facing huge embarrassment owing to the Maderna episode. In October, Maderna had resisted demands for his resignation from the ministry claiming he had no relation with Bhanwari Devi. Gehlot had to forcefully make him resign.
Bhawari Devi went missing from Bilada near Jodhpur. Her husband, Amarchand Nat, had alleged that she was abducted at the behest of Maderna and his associates.
In October, CBI took over the case and first questioned a Congress MLA's kin and a suspended police officer. Later, three persons were arrested, who reportedly kidnapped Bhanwari Devi. These people had confessed that they took her out of her house, but handed her over to a different gang.
A few audio clips of purported conversation of Bhanwari Devi with Sohanlal, one of the accused, and Indira Devi, had also come to light, sources said.