Jodhpur, Jan 28 (IANS): A court here Friday remanded a government teacher to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) custody till Jan 30, a day after he was arrested for his alleged role in the disappearance of nurse Bhanwari Devi, sources said.
The accused, identified as Reshmaram Bishnoi, was close to Indra Bishnoi, the sister of Congress legislator from Luni constituency Malkhan Singh Bishnoi and had been aware of the entire conspiracy of Bhanwari's kidnap Sep 1, informed sources added.
While Indra is still absconding in the case, her brother Malkhan Singh has been arrested by the CBI.
"Reshmaram was being searched for the past two months after his role in the kidnap of the nurse came up. He was arrested Thursday evening," a source close to the CBI told IANS.
He added that Reshmaram was produced in the court of chief judicial magistrate Friday and remanded to CBI custody till Jan 30.
Along with the teacher's arrests, CBI has arrested 15 people in the case.
CBI had Wednesday arrested two more accused -- Dinesh Bishnoi and Pukhraj Bishnoi, both relatives of Public Health Engineering Department contractor Sohan Lal Bishnoi. Sohan Lal has also been arrested by the agency.
It is alleged that three men -- Shahabuddin, Sohan Lal and Baldev Jat alias Balia -- kidnapped Bhanwari from Bilara in Jodhpur rural Sep 1, killed her and then handed over her body to a gang of criminals headed by Bishnaram Bishnoi who burnt her to ashes and dumped her remains into a canal. Bishnaram Bishnoi and his three accomplices including Kailash Bishnoi, Omprakash Bishnoi and Umesharam Bishnoi have also been arrested by the CBI.
Bhanwari Devi, allegedly shown in a compromising position with sacked Rajasthan minister Mahipal Maderna in a CD, had gone missing on Sep 1 last year.
The case has seen the arrest of former minister Maderna and Congress legislator from Luni constituency Malkhan Singh. According to sources close to the CBI, Maderna and Malkhan Singh were hand-in-glove in the entire conspiracy as the nurse was blackmailing both of them.
Maderna was believed to be blackmailed on the basis of a CD showing him in a compromising position with the nurse.
The two politicians allegedly roped in Sahiram Bishnoi, who hired Sohan Lal, Balia and Shahabuddin for the task of kidnapping the nurse. Maderna, Malkhan, the three kidnappers and Sahiram along with Amarchand, husband of Bhanwari Devi, have been arrested by the CBI. Amarchand is at present in judicial custody. The CBI also arrested Malkhan's brother Parasram Bishnoi.