The Hindu : New Delhi News : Sher Singh remains an enigma for police

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, May 20, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Sher Singh remains an enigma for police

By Prashant Pandey

NEW DELHI, MAY 19. Three arrests, half-a-dozen suspensions and three months after the escape of the prime accused in the Phoolan Devi murder case, Sher Singh Rana, from Tihar Central Jail on February 17, the Delhi police are still wracking their brains over his whereabouts. The police suspect he may be hiding in the Hindi hinterland under the protection of his sympathisers.

The last time the Special Cell of the Delhi police heard about Sher Singh was in April when he had called up his family in Roorkee, Uttar Pradesh, from a town in Bihar. Sher Singh rang up the family after he came to know of his father's death on April 5. "We came to know about the call he made to his family but after that there has been no clue," says the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell), Ashok Chand.

It was around the same time that his brother, Vikram Rana, who was arrested by the Special Cell in connection with the escape, sought relief from a city court so that he could attend the religious rites of his father. However, the court had refused to grant any relief.

The police, however, are of the view that Sher Singh came to that particular town in Bihar just to make a call and then went somewhere else. Sher Singh, understood to be a wily operator, would be aware that telephones of his house will be bugged and hence would not risk calling from the place where he was putting up, the police sources said.

Presently, the theory doing the rounds is that Sher Singh is hiding in a place in the hinterland of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar while constantly changing his hideout so that information about his presence does not reach the police. Moreover, the police are suspecting that people from his clan might be protecting him in the name of the prestige. Even the possibility of Sher Singh seeking protection from a prominent caste-based group has not been ruled out.

Earlier, Sher Singh was reported to be in the Capital on February 20 also. The revelation, however, came a bit late for the police who, at that point in time, were focusing on the Tihar Jail officers and personnel who facilitated the escape.

Following his arrest, Vikram had also told the police that Sher Singh had planned to remain underground for at least a month and then contact his family. After escaping Sher Singh had called up home asking for financial help. Sources maintained that with the police of two States looking for him, Sher Singh might have decided to lie low for a longer time than initially planned. And this strengthens their belief that his sympathisers are helping him financially.

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