Bhanwari Devi murder trial begins

Jodhpur, May 14: After two deferments, the trial in the sensational Bhanwari Devi abduction and murder case, involving 16 accused, commenced in a court here today.

A battery of lawyers representing the CBI and defense and all the 16 accused were present in the court of ACJM (SC/ST Cases) as the trial began in the case which had attracted widespread media attention.

The accused in the case include sacked Rajasthan minister Mahipal Maderna and Congress MLA Malkhan Singh Bishnoi. CBI's Senior Special Counsel Ashok Joshi re-created the entire story of auxiliary nurse Bhanwari Devi including her political ambitions, her hobnobbing with Maderna and Bishnoi and her death.

"The main objective of this entire narration in the court is to prove the motive of the main accused -- Maderna and Bishnoi," he told the court. Joshi argued that Maderna had wanted to do away with Bhanwari as she had made a sleaze CD to blackmail him with an intention to displace him from his ministerial berth. Bishnoi also wanted to eliminate Bhanwari as she wanted him to publicly acknowledge her youngest daughter whom he purportedly fathered, the counsel told the court.

"Thus, the duo had a common interest in eliminating Bhanwari Devi in order to get rid of her constant threats and blackmailing," he submitted before the judge.

PTI