Nationwide alert sounded for Phoolan Devi

Sharat Pradhan in Kanpur

Kanpur police chief Rajiv Ranjan Verma has sounded an alert to police officers throughout the country to arrest Phoolan Devi, the bandit-turned-MP, wherever she is found.

Phoolan Devi did not turn up in the Kanpur court on Tuesday, as instructed by Special Judge (anti-dacoity) S K Srivastava.

Though Judge Srivastava asked the police to arrest Phoolan Devi and produce her in court on February 17, he rejected the application made on behalf of the survivors of the Behmai massacre by their counsel Vijay Narain Singh Sengar to declaring her a 'proclaimed offender' and 'absconder'. Such a declaration would have enabled the administration to attach her property in Delhi and elsewhere.

Applications filed by Phoolan Devi's counsel Nand Lal Jaiswal challenging the court's jurisdiction on various grounds were also summarily rejected by the judge.

Earlier, Circle Inspector, Kanpur (rural), Shyam Lal Singh, who was assigned the job of executing the non-bailable warrant against the former bandit, said, "we raided every possible residence of Phoolan Devi during our five days stay in her constituency, Mirzapur, but she could not be found anywhere."

Even as district police chief Verma assured action against Phoolan Devi's security personnel "for failing to inform us about her whereabouts," Raja Ram Singh -- the lone survivor of the Behmai massacre -- accused the police of "laxity in executing the warrant."

Raja Ram Singh alleged that the police was avoiding arresting Phoolan Devi. He blamed Samajwadi Party chief and Defence Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav for "providing her protection." Phoolan Devi is a member of Yadav's party.