Court grants bail to co-accused in Phoolan Devi murder case

A Delhi court today granted bail to the brother of prime suspect Sher Singh Rana and co-accused in the murder of bandit-turned-politician Phoolan Devi for allowing him to take part in a marriage.

"Accused Vijay Singh Rana is granted interim bail for a period of three days starting from November 26 to allow him to take part in the marriage of his brother at his native place," additional sssions judge JR Aryan said.

The court asked him to furnish a personal and 2 surety bonds of Rs50,000 each as the pre-condition for his release.

"The accused is hereby directed to surrender before the competent authority here on November 29," it said.

The court is recording the statement of prosecution witnesses in the nine-year-old trial.

Earlier, the Investigating Officer had testified that Sher Singh Rana had killed Phoolan to avenge the 1981 Behmai massacre in which she and her gang murdered 17 people belonging to an upper caste.

The Samajwadi party MP was gunned down outside her 44, Ashoka Road, residence here on July 25, 2001.

According to the prosecution, Rana, along with 12 others, had allegedly conspired to kill Phoolan to avenge the Behmai massacre.

Besides Rana, other accused are Keshav Chauhan, Rajbir, Ravinder, Dharam Prakash, Sharwan, Vijay, Shekhar, Praveen Mittal, Amit Rathi, Vijay Rana, Pradeep and Surender.

They have been booked under IPC dealing with murder, attempt to murder, destruction of evidence, criminal conspiracy and procuring and using illegal firearms for their varying roles in the offence.