Police interrogate Pankaj

NEW DELHI, JULY 28. The Delhi police today subjected Sher Singh Rana alias Pankaj Singh, the prime accused in the Phoolan Devi murder case, to sustained interrogation and questioned two brothers of another accused, Ravinder, police sources said.

A report from Mirzapur, Phoolan Devi's parliamentary constituency, said a Delhi police team also interrogated yesterday Phoolan Devi's suspended security guard, Qayyoom Khan. Pankaj, who was brought to Delhi last night from Dehra Dun where he surrendered, confessed to the Uttaranchal police to having gunned down her to avenge the Behmai massacre of Thakurs by Phoolan Devi. The police, however, refused to endorse that version and are interrogating him to know the ``actual truth'' and the motive behind the killing, the sources said. They, however, refused to divulge the details saying the questioning was still going on.

Meanwhile, raids continued at various places to track down Ravinder, the third accused in the incident. Police have also questioned Ms. Uma Kashyap, a Roorkee-based political activist who treated Pankaj as her foster brother, and her husband Vijay Kumar, an employee of the Uttar Pradesh Jal Nigam. The couple came to Delhi from Roorkee in the morning of the fateful day in Pankaj's car and were present at Phoolan's house at the time of the incident. Raids to nab Ravinder

Several raids have been conducted in Hardwar and Dehra Dun districts since yesterday to track down Ravinder. ``We have carried out several raids in Hardwar and Dehra Dun districts to trace Ravinder since yesterday,'' the Director-General of Police, Mr. Ashok Kant Sharan, said. He said strict instructions had been given to his officers to keep a vigil.

Police have also questioned several people in Roorkee in connection with the murder case. They are looking for one Shekhar, believed to be an associate of Pankaj, yet another accused. Umed denies

knowing Pankaj

Phoolan Devi's husband, Mr. Umed Singh, denied knowing both Pankaj Singh or Ms. Kashyap. ``I do not know them (Uma Kashyap and Pankaj). Thousands of people used to come to see her,'' Mr. Singh said. He demanded a CBI inquiry into the murder. Later, Mr. Singh left for Garh Mukteshwar to perform the last rites.

Meanwhile, a close associate of Phoolan Devi's family, Mr. F. M. Das, said Pankaj was not the real killer as he was in the driver's seat.

``Police is trying to save someone. Pankaj is also doing the same as he has named only one accomplice whereas the driver of the autorickshaw, used by the assailants to flee from Pandit Pant Marg, told the police that they were three,'' Mr. Das, who is looking after the 44, Ashoka Road residence of Phoolan Devi, in absence of Mr. Singh, told the police.

- PTI

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