Sher Singh Rana

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Sher Singh Rana(alias Pankaj Singh), is the prime accused in the murder of bandit-turned-politician Phoolan Devi in 2001.[1] He scripted a daring escape from the heavily guarded Tihar Jail in 2004,but was arrested by a Special Cell of the Delhi police at Dharamtalla in Kolkata in 2006.

Phoolan Devi assassination

Rana allegedly claimed to have murdered Phoolan Devi to take revenge.[2][3]

Escape from Tihar Jail

Rana reportedly said that after escaping from the jail on February 17, 2004 with the help of a friend Sandeep — who in the guise of a police man, pretended to take Rana to a Hardwar court— he went to Moradabad and checked into a hotel. He then contacted relatives who sent him Rs. 1 lakh through Sandeep. From Ranchi he applied for a passport in the name of Sanjay Gupta.

During the two-month wait for the passport, he visited Gaya and Benaras, where he met his "financer" Subhash Thakur, who was then lodged in a local jail. Rana then went to Kolkata, where he obtained a three-month Bangladesh visa. Rana claimed that he took a house for rent at Khulna and lived there, posing as Sanjay.After he fled to Bangladesh, he bought a satellite phone for Rs. 16,500 so that he could contact his relatives and friends without being tracked. Throughout his journey -- from Moradabad to Ranchi, Kolkata, Bangladesh and Dubai to Afghanistan, -- he kept getting about Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 20,000 per month as personal expense allegedly from the accomplices of an Uttar Pradesh-based criminal Subhash Thakur. Later, he took a flight from Dhaka to Dubai, from where he proceeded to Kabul.

Rana then went to Kandahar, Herat and Gazni. He claimed that he found the grave, dug it up in the dark, packed some of the exhumed material in a bag and couriered it to a contact in Uttar Pradesh.[4][5] Rana then returned to Dhaka via Dubai.

He visited Kolkata often to get his visa extended. At times, he did this in Dhaka.[6]

U.P Assembly elections

A trial court in January 2012 allowed Sher Singh Rana, to file his nomination papers from Tihar to contest Uttar Pradesh assembly election.[7]

Popular culture

Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui is gearing up to work on a second biopic – “End of Bandit Queen” – based on the life of Sher Singh Rana.Sher Singh Rana is currently lodged at Delhi’s Tihar Jail, and Nawazzudin says he will meet him soon.[8] The makers of a biopic based on Sher Singh Rana — the killer of Phoolan Devi — have roped in Boman Irani to play the parallel lead.[9]

References

  1. ↑ "Phoolan Devi's killer arrested in Kolkata". The Times Of India. 25 April 2006. 
  2. ↑ "Man arrested for murder of 'Bandit Queen'". The Telegraph (London). 27 July 2001. Retrieved 9 August 2012. 
  3. ↑ "Profile of Sher Singh Rana". Times of India. 27 July 2001. Retrieved 9 August 2012. 
  4. ↑ "Phoolan murder accused held again". The Hindu (Chennai, India). 26 April 2006. 
  5. ↑ http://www.indiaprwire.com/pressrelease/entertainment/2011031881048.htm
  6. ↑ "Rain gods sealed Sher Singh Rana's fate". The Hindu (Chennai, India). 26 April 2006. 
  7. ↑ "Phoolan 'killer' to fight UP polls from Tihar". The Times Of India. 25 January 2012. 
  8. ↑ http://www.koimoi.com/bollywood-news/nawazuddin-to-shoot-for-biopic-on-phoolan-devis-murderer-sher-singh-rana/
  9. ↑ http://www.indianexpress.com/news/boman-irani-in-the-biopic-on-sher-singh-rana/1091383/#sthash.gD72mbXK.dpuf

External links

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