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More than three months after Sher Singh Rana alias Pankaj, accused in the murder of bandit queen-turned-politician Phoolan Devi, escaped from Tihar Jail, a Delhi court on Wednesday declared him a proclaimed offender.
Additional Sessions Judge D S Puniya made the declaration after the investigating officer in the case informed the court that he had completed the requisite proceedings under the Code of Criminal Procedure.
The officer told the ASJ that pursuant to a court order, he went to Roorkee and attached Rana's properties on May 4 in the presence of his mother Satyawati Rana, brought them to Delhi and deposited them in the store of the Parliament Street police station.
The case of Phoolan's murder will now come up for recording evidence on June 9.
The court had on March 5 given police the go-ahead to initiate proceedings to declare Rana a proclaimed offender after cops failed to trace him.
The procedure involves a public proclamation asking the accused to present himself before the court within one month failing which another order is passed to attach his property.
Phoolan Devi was gunned-down in broad daylight at her official residence in Delhi in July 2001.