Bhanwari case: CBI grills Malkhan, Maderna's wife again

Congress Member of Legislative Assembly Malkhan Singh and sacked Rajasthan minister Mahipal Maderna's wife Lila Maderna were on Saturday grilled for the second day in the Bhanwari Devi missing case by the Central Bureau of Investigation in Jodhpur.

Malkhan, who represents Luni constituency in Rajasthan assembly, was grilled along with Lila at the circuit house in Jodhpur, said officials.

Later, after coming out from the circuit house, Lila -- who had on Friday accused the media of trying to target her husband -- told reporters the CD purportedly showing Maderna in compromising state with Bhanwari "was fabricated and aimed at maligning the legacy of her family by their rivals".

Lila claimed that she didn't know about any relationship between Bhanwari and her husband.

However, she said, even if they were in a relationship, "it was not an offence but an act of mutual consent".

A CD allegedly showing Maderna and Malkhan in compromising position with 36-year-old Bhanwari, an auxiliary nurse midwife at a sub-centre in Jaliwada village -- nearly 120 km from Jodhpur -- had come to light after she went missing from Jodhpur's Bilara area on September 1. Her husband Amarchand had alleged that she was abducted at the behest of Maderna.

Sources said that it is believed that Bhanwari was introduced to Maderna some years back by Malkhan, who had already admitted to CBI that he knew her.

CBI had on Friday questioned Mahipal, Lila, Malkan and his sister Indira, who had earlier told the media that Bhanwari wanted a "settlement of the deal" with former Water Resources Minister Maderna and she had approached even Pali Member of Parliament Badri Ram Jakhar.

Maderna was sacked from the state cabinet on October 16 after his name cropped up in connection with the case.