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Supreme Court stays Phoolan arrest

The Supreme Court today stayed the arrest of bandit-turned-politician Phoolan Devi after non-bailable arrest warrants were issued by a Kanpur court (dacoity-affected area) in connection with certain criminal cases pending against her.

The stay was passed by a division bench comprising Justices K T Thomas and M Srinivasan, while dismissing the application for withdrawal of cases moved by the public prosecutor under section 321 code of the Criminal Procedure Code.

The Uttar Pradesh government order dated February 6, 1994, had already ordered for withdrawal of all criminal cases pending against her in the Kanpur court (dacoity-infested area), the special leave petition stated.

Filing the petition on Phoolan Devi's behalf, advocate Vipul Maheshwari submitted before the court that the petitioner had already undergone 11 years in jail and was released by a Supreme Court order in February 1994. But under the terms of her surrender made on February 2, 1983, she was entitled to be released on the expiry of eight years, ending in 1991.

UNI

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