The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday confirmed before the Rajasthan high court that missing nurse Bhanwari Devi was killed at the behest of a politician, sources said.
The agency made its assertion during the hearing in the habeas corpus petition filed by Bhanwari's husband Amarchand before he was arrested by the CBI on charges of being involved in the conspiracy of his wife's disappearance, sources said.
"CBI submitted the status report before the court Tuesday. During the hearing in the petition, the CBI confirmed that the nurse had been killed at the behest of a politician," a source in the CBI told the media.
Amarchand was arrested on December 8 by the CBI. On September 20, he had filed the petition in the Rajasthan High Court accusing some influential people of being involved in her wife's abduction.
"The case has almost been cracked as the remains of the nurse's body have been recovered. Son of the nurse, Sahil, has confirmed that some of the items recovered from a 25-ft-deep crater and the canal, including a watch and some jewellery, belong to her," said a source close to the CBI.
Teams of the Central Forensic Science Laboratory and the CBI recovered two guns, a gunny bag, a bat, some bone fragments, a charred mobile phone, earrings, a locket, a watch and bracelet during a search that continued for three days.
Bhanwari Devi, who allegedly features in a compromising position with sacked Rajasthan minister Mahipal Maderna in a CD, had gone missing on September 1 2011.
The case has seen the arrest of Maderna and Congress legislator from Luni constituency Malkhan Singh.
In a charge sheet filed earlier by the CBI, it was alleged that three men abducted the nurse from Jodhpur's Bilara area on September 1, killed her and then gave her body to a gang of criminals headed by Bishnaram Bishnoi.
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.
The two politicians allegedly roped in Sahiram Bishnoi, who hired Sohan Lal, Balia and Shahabuddin for the task of abducting the nurse.
Maderna, Malkhan Singh, the three kidnappers and Sahiram along with Bhanwari Devi's husband Amarchand have been arrested by the CBI. Amarchand is at present in judicial custody.
The CBI also arrested Malkhan Singh's brother Parasram Bishnoi as well as two others - Umesharam and Omprakash Bishnoi.