The Hindu : New Delhi News : A new twist to Phoolan murder case

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Friday, Sep 14, 2007
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New Delhi

A new twist to Phoolan murder case

Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI: Muni Devi, sister of bandit-turned-politician Phoolan Devi who was murdered in the Capital on July 25, 2001, on Thursday told a Delhi court that prime accused Sher Singh Rana and another woman had come to meet her sister prior to the incident. She also told the court that Phoolan Devi’s husband Umed Singh had created circumstances which led to the killing of the then Member of Parliament from Mirzapur.

Appearing before Additional Sessions Judge V. K. Bansal as the 104th prosecution witness, Munni said Rana had come to meet her sister around 6-30 a.m. He was accompanied by Uma Kashyap, a member of a regional party, “Eklavya Sena”. Munni Devi said Phoolan Devi’s personal security guard Balinder Singh had also reached the MP’s official residence at 44 Ashok Road in the morning.

Eyewitness

Munni, who has claimed to be the eyewitness, further told the court that on the fateful day Singh had created a situation that forced her sister to go to Parliament in the car of the main accused. Phoolan had a Tata Sumo and a Maruti car at her disposal but Umed insisted that both of them were out of order, although that was not the case, and did not allow anybody to take them out of the garage.

Earlier, Uma and the slain MP’s personal secretary Kalicharan had also told the court that Rana had come to meet Phoolan Devi on the fateful day.

According to the prosecution, Rana had come to meet Phoolan Devi along with Uma on the fateful day. When she returned from Parliament around noon, she was shot at the entrance gate allegedly by Rana and his accomplices. Balinder was seriously injured.

Subsequent to Phoolan Devi’s killing, Munni Devi had alleged that Umed was responsible for her murder. However, the prosecution has not levelled any such charge against him.

Munni Devi, who has been provided security by the court, would continue to record her statement on Friday.

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