CBI quizzes two Rajasthan legislators on Bharatpur riots

Jaipur, Aug 3 (IANS) The CBI has quizzed two Rajasthan legislators over the past 10 days in connection with communal violence in Bharatpur district September last year which left at least 10 Meo Muslims dead and 21 others injured, sources close to the agency said Friday.

Parliamentary secretary and Congress legislator from Kaman constituency in Bharatpur, Zahida Khan, was summoned to the Central Bureau of Investigation's Delhi headquarters and interrogated till late Thursday, the sources said.

The Central Bureau (CBI) had earlier quizzed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator from Nagar constituency in Bharatpur Anita Singh July 23.

Members of the Gujjar and Meo communities clashed in Bharatpur's Gopalgarh village Sep 14 over a piece of land, with one group claiming that it was for a burial centre and the other that it was for a pond. It was alleged that three of the deceased were killed in the police firing.

"The special CBI court in Jaipur had ordered an investigation into the roles of Zahida and Anita Singh March 14. The advocates of those people who have been arrested by the CBI in connection with the violence had requested the court to initiate a probe into the roles of some influential people in the area. The advocates accused these leaders of provoking the local residents," said an officer close to the investigations.

The officer said that the agency had served notices to Zahida and Anita asking them to be present before the CBI for interrogation in connection with violence.

"While Anita was quizzed July 23, a team of CBI officials interrogated Zahida Thursday evening," the officer added.

The officer said the CBI will submit a report to the court on the basis of the interrogation's outcome.

The CBI has so far filed a charge sheet against 15 people who were arrested in connection with the violence.