The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Tuesday, August 7, 2001,
Chandigarh, India

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Phoolan’s relatives come to blows
Tribune News Service

Umed Singh with relatives of Phoolan Devi at the 13th day ceremony for Phoolan Devi at her residence in New Delhi on Monday.

Two gunmen at the 13th day ceremony for Phoolan Devi at her residence in New Delhi on Monday.

Two gunmen at the 13th day ceremony for Phoolan Devi at her residence in New Delhi on Monday. — PTI photos

New Delhi, August 6
Hours after a show of rapprochement, supporters of Phoolan Devi’s blood relatives and husband Umed Singh came to blows on her 13th day rituals today forcing police intervention to defuse tension.

The acrimony was witnessed only a few hours after the two sides showed some signs of rapprochement due to the efforts of Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh.

Trouble arose over the “pagri” (turban tying) ritual of the slain MP at 44, Ashoka Road, her official residence. As the ritual to tie the “pagri” on Umed Singh began, Phoolan’s sister Munni Devi and mother Mula Devi opposed it, saying that this custom was not followed by their community.

With both sides sticking to their stands, tempers rose and jostling and heckling ensued. The two sides almost came to blows before the police, sensing the situation turning unruly, intervened and brought the situation under control.

“We had made appropriate arrangments and deployed enough securitymen,” the Deputy Commissioner of Police, New Delhi, Mr R.S. Krishnia said.

Cops looking for two more suspects
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 6
With eight accused already arrested in the Phoolan Devi murder case, the police is now hunting for two more persons, who are believed to have helped the main conspirators.

A hunt is on for Shravan, an employee at prime accused Sher Singh Rana’s liquor shop in Roorkee, who is believed to have gone to a Hardwar jail impersonating his boss to help him create an alibi and a resident of Muzaffarnagar who is alleged to have provided two revolvers used by the assailants.

Rana, who had been out of jail on a bail in an excise case, had got his bail cancelled on July 14. He allegedly sent Shravan to the prison till July 26 in his place to allow him create an alibi even after killing Phoolan on July 25.

“He wanted to show in the court that he was in jail when the crime was committed,” said a police officer, adding however, that the police had collected enough evidence to prove that he was not in the jail at the time of the killing.

The police is also on the lookout for a resident of Muzaffarnagar who is believed to have provided two of the four revolvers to the assailants for use in the crime. PTI