Phoolan murder case: Sher Singh Rana seeks leniency

NEW DELHI: Faced with death sentence or life-term, Sher Singh Rana, the lone convict in the 2001 sensational killing of bandit-turned-politician Phoolan Devi, today sought leniency from a Delhi court.

"You (judge) are sitting on the chair of the God and what you say here comes directly from God's mouth," Rana told Additional Sessions Judge Bharat Parashar adding "You (judge) have pardoned the prosecution in this case so please pardon me also."

Rana, 35, has been convicted under sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder) and 34 (common intention) of the IPC for murdering Phoolan at her residence here on July 25, 2001.

Rana also told the judge that he wants to do something good for the society.

After the court, which reserved its order on quantum of sentence for August 14, asked Rana about his family, he told the court that he is unmarried but he has the responsibility of looking after his ailing mother.

"I am unmarried but I have the responsibility of looking after my aged mother. My father expired when I was in jail and I could not attend his last rites. My mother is ailing and she would get treatment only after I am released from jail," he said in the jampacked courtroom.

At the fag end of the hearing, a tense-looking Rana tried to strike a lighter note with the judge saying although the court has held him guilty in the case it should now write such an order on sentence that he could get acquittal from the higher court soon.

"I know that no judge wants his order to be reversed by the higher courts....I request you to write such a judgement so that I could get acquittal soon," he said.