Farooq, the driver of Bhanwari Devi, has turned into a prosecution witness in the missing case of the 36-year-old folk singer. The CBI, which is probing the case, has recorded his statement under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), which will be considered as an evidence in the court of law.
According to sources, Amarchand, husband of Bhanwari Devi who is in CBI custody, had allegedly instructed Farooq to give statement against Sohan Lal, another suspect in the case, just to mislead the investigating agency.
Sources said, “Amarchand had earlier claimed that he was in Pipar, near Jodhpur, on September 1, the day Bhanwari went missing, to get his car repaired. However, Farooq told his interrogators that Bhanwari’s car was in working condition on September 1 and it was not given to any mechanic for the repairing”. Farooq further revealed that Amarchand allegedly instructed him not to reveal the facts, sources said.
Sources further said, “Amarchand also instructed Farooq to give statement against Sohan Lal only to mislead the agency.” A CBI court in Jodhpur on Friday remanded Amarchand, who was arrested for non-cooperation on Thursday, to the agency’s custody for five days.
The court also extended the CBI custody of former Rajasthan minister Mahipal Maderna and another accused Parasram Bishnoi till December 12. Both were produced before the CBI court in Jodhpur on Friday.
Maderna’s lawyer Jagmal Choudhary, however, said, “There was no need to extend the custody.”
The CBI is harassing Maderna”. Maderna’s supporters gathered outside the court premises on Friday and started shouting slogans.
Meanwhile, the CBI has summoned Congress MLA Malkhan Singh for questioning on Saturday. He will be questioned by the agency officials at Circuit House in Jodhpur. The agency is planning to conduct a lie-detector test on Malkhan Singh. Sources said the agency will first need to seek his consent as legal provisions entail that such a test can not be conducted without his permission. The agency may make significant arrests on Saturday also, sources added.