Jail Superintendent of Rohini files report about Rana's security

New Delhi, May 19 (UNI) The Superintendent of the Rohini jail today appeared before a city court and filed a status report about the safety and security of Sher Singh Rana, prime accused in Phoolan Devi, assassination case.

Earlier Rana had filed an application in the court and sought adequate security, as there was a threat to his life in the jail premises.

Appearing before the Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) S K Bansal, the jail superintendent stated in his reply that, ''Rana's food was being checked regularly by the doctor in the jail premises, and refuted all the allegations levelled by Rana against the jail authorities. He assured the court that, there was no threat to his life in the jail premises.'' Earlier on May 11, Rana in his application stated that, he was tortured mentally and physically and had apprehension that, he might be administered slow poison. He also requested the court to transfer him to any jail other than New Delhi. The court ordered the superintendent of Rohini Jail to file a status report in this matter.

He also stated that, he might be killed due to the conspiracy by the police against him and sought protection in jail on this ground.

He was arrested for the second time from a house in the Lake Gardens area of south Kolkata on April 25 by the Delhi Police team under sections 302 (Murder), 307 (Attempt to Murder) and 120-B (Criminal Conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Rana had shot dead Phoolan Devi outside her 44, Ashoka Road residence in Delhi on July 25, 2001.

Rana confessed before the media that, he had murdered Phoolan Devi to avenge the infamous Behmai massacre, in which her gang had shot dead 21 upper-caste men in Behmai village of Uttar Pradesh on February 14, 1981 to avenge her gang rape by upper-caste villagers.

UNI XC AD BST1924