A special CBI court here today issued directives to arrest Congress legislator Sukhdev Panse and produce him before the court in connection with the Pardhi murder case in Betul district. Special Judge Surendra Singh Gurjar directed Superintendent of Police of Betul district to arrest the MLA and produced him in the court on October 8. The CBI court issued a chargesheet against nine people on September 6 in connection with the case. In 2007, villagers of Chouthia attacked the houses of Pardhi community in connection with a rape incident and killed one Bodru and his wife Dodia Bai, who was also raped before being murdered. A social activist Anurag Modi filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the High Court after efforts were on to suppress the case. The court later order a CBI probe into the case and the investigating agency had already submitted its report. It was alleged that Panse, an MLA of Multai, instigated the angry mob to attack the people of the particular community and they allegedly committed the crime at the instance of the MLA. Besides Panse, 78 other accused are absconding in connection with the incident.
—UNI