Journalism of Courage
Born on August 10, 1963, in Ghura Ka Purwa, a tiny village in Uttar Pradesh, bandit queen Phoolan Devi's life journey had all the necessary elements for a gripping drama. She was a rebel who stood up against the wrong doers. Haven been Kidnapped and raped for days by dacoits, the 'Bandit Queen' decided to take revenge. (Express Archive Photo)
Phoolan Devi is known for planning the revenge killings of 22 thakurs which came to be known as the "Behmai hathyakand". Among those killed were the two men who had allegedly raped her. (Express Photo/Archives)
Phoolan had to surrender to police in 1983. The only condition that she put forth for her surrender was that she would not be handed over to the Uttar Pradesh Police. In the picture she is seen at a demonstration at New Delhi's Jantar Mantar organised by the Rashtriya Eklayya Sena in protest of the Naina Sahni murder. (Express Photo by Sanjay K Sharma)
Phoolan Devi was charged with 48 crimes which included 30 charges of banditry and kidnapping. In the picture, she is seen with Former PM VP Singh at a Dalit Sena National executive meeting in New Delhi on July 16, 1995.(Express photo by Naveen Jora)
Phoolan Devi stayed behind bars for 11 years till she was released in 1994 after the then UP CM Mulayam Singh Yadav withdrew all cases against her. In the above picture, taken on July 21, 1994, she is seen with her husband Umed Singh. (Express photo by R K Sharma)
Not many know this but Phoolan Devi stayed in South Delhi's Gulmohar Park for almost two years under parole, after she was released from jail in 1994. (Express Archive Photo)
She decided to venture into politics and began her stint with the Samajwadi Party in 1996 by winning the Lok Sabha elections from the Mirzapur seat. Here she is seen with HKL Bhagat at Eklavya Sena national convention in New Delhi on June 26, 1997. (Express photo by Arvind Yadav)
Phoolan won a second term from the same seat in 1999. Here she is seen addressing a press conference at press club on January 14, 1995. (Express Photo by Ravi Batra)
Acclaimed film director Shekhar Kapoor decided to show her courageous story and made the film 'Bandit Queen' with actress Seema Biswas in the title role. (Express archive photo)
Seema Biswas in and as 'Bandit Queen', seen here in a still from the film. The film won acclaim from fans and critics alike. (Express archive photo)
On July 25, 2001, Phoolan was shot dead by Sher Singh Rana while she was on her way back to her Ashoka Road residence after attending a Parliament session. In the picture, Phoolan is hugging Dr. Michiko Ito of the Japanese Royal family after she converted to Buddhism. (Express photo by Neeraj Priyadarshi)
