Thirteen years after the sensational murder of bandit-turned-politician Phoolan Devi, a trial court on Friday convicted the main accused, Sher Singh Rana, but let off 10 other accused for lack of evidence. The court fixed Tuesday for hearing arguments on the quantum of Rana's punishment and pronouncing the sentence.
Rana was held guilty on charges of murder, attempt to murder and common intention but acquitted of charges of perjury , criminal conspiracy and the Arms Act. Additional sessions judge Bharat Parashar said, “Except Sher Singh Rana, I am acquitting all the accused. Sher Singh Rana is convicted of the offences under sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder) and 34 (common intention) under the IPC“.
Immediately after the verdict was pronounced in the packed courtroom, Rana, 38, said, “Why have you convicted only me? How can I alone commit the murder?“ The judge replied he had decided the case on the basis of evidence and Rana could challenge the order in the high court. While the detailed judgment is yet to be released, sources said the testimony of Phoolan's personal security officer, Balinder Singh, and forensic reports confirming Rana's fingerprints on the pistol used sealed his fate. Balinder, who was also injured in the attack on Phoolan, had recognized Rana. The testimony of Rana's friends established that his green Maruti car was used in the crime.
While acquitting Rana's co-accused, the judge said the prosecution had failed to prove its case against them beyond reasonable doubt. Dhan Prakash, Shekhar Singh, Rajbir Singh, Vijay Singh alias Raju (Rana's brother), Rajender Singh alias Ravinder Singh, Keshav Chauhan, Praveen Mittal, Amit Rathi, Surender Singh Negi alias Suri and Sharavan Kumar were let off in the case. Proceedings against another accused, Pradeep Singh, were abated after he died in Tihar Jail in November 2013.
For three of the accused--Shekhar Singh, Rajbir Singh and Sharavan Kumar--who had been behind bars all along, the acquittals came 13 years too late. “Who will return our 13 years?“ they were overheard saying to the accompanying constables. The prosecution termed the verdict a setback, and said it would challenge it in a superior court.
Phoolan, a Samajwadi Party MP from Mirzapur in UP , was shot dead from close range by three masked gunmen on Ashoka Road on July 25, 2001.
The July 2001 fatal attack on Phoolan Devi was not the first time Sher Singh Rana tried to kill her. Police say a conspiracy had been afoot for at least one and a half years and Rana had checked into a CR Park guesthouse, close to where Phoolan lived, in 2000. He traced her routes and attempted to kill her for three days but failed, crime branch ACP Suresh Kaushik, who investigated the case, said. Disappointed, Rana went back and drew an elaborate plan to kill Phoolan keeping in mind that she was an MP and had shifted to Ashoka Road, the most secure area in Delhi. He befriended Uma Kashyap, who headed a group called Eklavya Sena in Roorkee and was close to Phoolan. It opened the doors of Phoolan's house to him and he started visiting it often.
A few days before the murder, Rana's father withdrew his surety in a case involving his liquor shop, and a court ordered Rana to be sent to jail. Instead, Rana's aide Sharavan went to jail under his identity , giving him an alibi.“On July 25, Rana, Uma and her husband Vijay left for Delhi from Roorkee in his green Maruti car (CIM 907). Three of Rana's aides accompanied them in a white Maruti car that had been robbed,“ Kaushik said. Rana reached Phoolan's house around 10.30 am when she was getting ready to go to Parliament. She had sent her official car back as she wasn't ready and when Rana offered to drop her she agreed.
He dropped Phoolan to Parliament, came back to her residence and parked his car (907) near the gate and the other car, which was the getaway car, near Gole Dak Khana. He kept a lookout for Phoolan's car but she returned in another MP's car, taking him by surprise. With no time to pull on their `monkey caps', Rana and his accomplice approached Phoolan, and Rana shot her with a country weapon in the head.
He then used a revolver to shoot her four more times. His accomplice shot and injured Phoolan's PSO Balinder Singh. The two then escaped with a third accomplice.
Because of the afternoon school rush, they had to abandon their car on Bhagwandas Road and flee in an auto. They met the other conspirators in Kavi Nagar, Ghaziabad and from there escaped to Haridwar. Sharavan, who had impersonated Rana in jail, was bailed out a day later and they went to Rishikesh.
On July 27, Rana confessed before reporters at Dehradun Press Club that he had killed Phoolan to avenge the Behmai massacre and surrendered.
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