Phoolan Devi (10  August 1963 – 25  July 2001), popularly known as

Phoolan Devi - Wikipedia

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2021-10-27 01:00:10

Phoolan Devi (10  August 1963 – 25  July 2001), popularly known as "Bandit Queen", was an Indian female rights activist, bandit and politician from the Samajwadi Party who later served as Member of Parliament.

Born into a poor family in rural Uttar Pradesh, Devi endured poverty, child marriage and had an abusive marriage before taking to a life of crime. Having developed major differences with her parents and being raped multiple times by her husband, the teenage Devi sought escape by running away and joining a gang of bandits. She was the only woman in that gang, and her relationship with one gang member, coupled with caste difference, caused a gunfight between gang members. Devi's lover, Vikram Mallah, was killed in that gunfight. The victorious rival faction, took Devi to their village of Behmai, confined her in a room, and took turns to rape her repeatedly over several weeks. After escaping, Devi rejoined the remnants of her dead lover's faction who were gangs of Mallaah, took another lover from among those men, and continued with banditry. A few months later, her new gang descended upon the village of Behmai to exact revenge for what she had suffered.[1][2] As many as twenty-two men belonging to that village were shot dead by Devi's gang.

Devi evaded capture for two years after the massacre before she and her few surviving gang-members surrendered to the police in 1983. She was charged with 48 crimes, including multiple murders, plunder, arson and kidnapping for ransom.[3] Phoolan spent the next eleven years in jail, as the various charges against her were tried in court. Her act of revenge was portrayed by the press as an act of righteous rebellion. The respectful sobriquet 'Devi' was conferred upon her by the media and public at this point.[4]

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