Bhanwari Devi murder: HC slaps murder charges against accused

Rajasthan High Court today overturned the decision of a trial court letting off two accused in Bhanwari Devi murder case from the charges of criminal conspiracy.
The High Court today directed to frame charges of criminal conspiracy in her abduction and murder against Parasram Bishnoi and Omprakash Bishnoi.
"We had moved a revision petition in the Rajasthan high court challenging the decision of the ACJM (SC/ST) court of dropping charges 302 (murder) and 364 (abduction) of IPC against Parasram and Om Prakash, considering them accused only under section 201 of IPC, which was bailable", Ashok Joshi, the Special Counsel for CBI said.

The High Court had completed the arguments of the petition on December 18 last year and the order had been kept pending.
Today, Justice Atul Kumar Jain allowed the petition of CBI and set aside the order of the ACJM (SC/ST) court pronounced in October 2012.
Now, the trial court will reframe the charges of murder and abduction against them and both will be rearrested by the CBI as they were bailed out immediately after the deletion of these charges against them by the same court.

"Revision filed by one of the accused has been separated and is pending. However, the High Court has ordered to drop the charge under the provision of SC/ST Act against all the accused persons," Joshi added.

CBI had filed charge-sheet against various offences punishable under IPC and SC/ST Act but the trial court had framed charges against 16 accused persons and dropped charges against the two.
36-year-old Bhanwari Devi was abducted and murdered in 2011.