The power and influence wielded by politicians need no introduction. Embezzlement of funds, misuse of official powers and machinery are well known and reported. But the strange politician-bureaucrat-gangster nexus often goes unreported and comes to the public domain only when something sensational happens. This is exactly what happened in 2011 when Bhanwari Devi, a midwife was caught up in a web of power play and sexual favors ending up being murdered in cold blood. An impoverished family saw its daughter joining government service with great enthusiasm and hope of improving the standard of life. However, as things turned out, the job was to later become her death trap. Her good looks and her desire to acquire wealth quickly resulted in her attraction to powerful politicians and bureaucrats. As she quickly made her way up the ladder, flooring politicians with her seductive looks and willingness to indulge in sexual acts, she became powerful in her own world. Her proximity to a state minister gave her power which was intoxicating. She began to experience the trappings of power and began harboring aspirations to become a politician herself. Her request for a nomination to fight the elections was turned down and she felt slighted. To exact revenge and get something out of her relationship, she made a sleaze CD which showed the minister in compromising positions with her. She also went on to threaten that she would disclose the fact that Malkhan Singh was the father of her child. These explosive revelations were enough to send the corridors of power into a tizzy. Maderna, the cabinet minister in question and Malkhan Singh the MLA who fathered a child through Bhanwari Devi came together to ‘sort’ out the issue. Strangely, these two politicians were at loggerheads and did not trust each other. However, when the issue of the sleaze CD and the threat of exposure came out, the two joined hands. What followed was straight from a potboiler. Bhanwari Devi was contacted by a power broker, Sunil Gurjar, who enjoyed a reputation as one who mingled with high and mighty politicians. The victim allegedly informed one Indira that Sunil had assured her of a compromise that would fetch her money. However, that apparently was the bait to buy her silence for a while till plans to eliminate her were hatched. She went missing on the 1st of September 2011 when she was traveling on a bus to Billara in Jodhpur. Her husband was privy to the plan and had actively cooperated in the conspiracy, by making her travel alone. After she went missing, the government sacked the minister when he refused to resign, when the details of the CD surfaced in public domain. Under pressure, the investigation was handed over to the CBI which managed to conclude the investigations and book 12 people in various charges of conspiracy, including abduction, destruction of evidence, and murder. The trial is yet to conclude and has faced innumerable delays as the accused are exploiting every possible opportunity to cause delays in the trial. Additional reading on the subject :
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |