Case against officer who negotiated Phoolan's surrender

Bhopal, Jan 10 (UNI) A case has been registered against Madhya Pradesh's former Additional Director-General of Police Rajendra Chaturvedi -- who played a key role in Bandit Queen Phoolan Devi's surrender -- for harassing and threatening to kill his wife.

''Following the victim Ms Deepannita Chaturvedi's complaint, the case was registered last evening under sections 323, 506 and 498(a) of the Indian Penal Code,'' Shyamla Hills Station House Officer Shivpal Kushwaha told UNI today.

Ms Chaturvedi yesterday submitted an application, to Superintendent of Police Anant Kumar Singh, demanding action against her husband. She alleged that Mr Chaturvedi has been mentally and physically harassing her for several years and she was now left to fend for herself.

At a press conference earlier, Ms Chaturvedi levelled many accusations against the retired Indian Police Service officer and even accused him of having an affair.

Mr Chaturvedi, who retired about one-and-a-half years back, also played a crucial role in the surrender of the Chambal Valley's dacoit Malkhan Singh in the eighties. At that juncture, Ms Chaturvedi came into the limelight for tying a 'rakhi' to the bandit.

After the February 14, 1981 Behmai massacre of upper-caste men, Phoolan and her gang went into hiding. When she learnt that the authorities had arrested and imprisoned her parents, she decided to negotiate her surrender.

Over nearly a year, she haggled over the terms with Mr Chaturvedi, who was then the Superintendent of Police, Bhind.

Phoolan surrendered in February 1983.

UNI