The prosecution on Tuesday got a jolt in the Phoolan Devi murder case as an eye-witness told a court in New Delhi that he could not identify the assailants as they had muffled up their faces at the time of the crime.

Kalicharan, who was declared a hostile witness by the prosecution after his sudden u-turn, told additional sessions judge V K Bansal, "The accused, at the time of firing at Madam (Phoolan Devi), had muffled up their faces and so I could not identify them".

On being cautioned that he may be prosecuted for the offence of perjury as he had earlier given diametrically opposite statement in the court, Kalicharan, the personal assistant of slain Samajwadi Party MP, said, "I was read the statement already prepared by the police officials at Connaught Place police station here".

"They (police officers) used to tell me about what I had to say in the court. I used to come to Delhi to record my statements with them and was asked to stay in the police station itself," he said.

His statement that he did not remember whether the police had recorded his version after the incident irked the judge, who said, "Your testimony to this effect was recorded in the court and you may face the consequence if you try to play smart with us".

"The witness is deliberately trying to wriggle out of his earlier statement given before this court," the judge noted in his observation.

Kalicharan, in 2005, had testified in court that though he did not see the faces of Phoolan's killers, going by the height and built of the accused, it was clear that Sher Singh Rana had fired at the MP.

Alleging a police threat, the witness said, "It is correct that I had then said that I can identify the man who had fired at Phoolan Devi, but he is not present inside the courtroom".

On being suggested by special public prosecutor S K Saxena that he has been won over by the accused, Kalicharan said, "I am inspired by the courage of Phoolan Devi's sister Munni Devi's plain speaking and now I am telling the truth to this court".

Earlier, he created an embarrassing situation for the prosecution when he claimed that his previous statements were influenced by Saxena, whom he had allegedly met several times before recording his testimonies.

However, Kalicharan could not give the details about the date and place of his meetings with the prosecutor. The cross-examination of Kalicharan remained inconclusive and will continue on Wednesday.

Earlier, Munni Devi, the sister of the slain MP, had told the court that Phoolan's husband had plotted her murder.

The prosecution has alleged that Rana, along with 11 other co-accused, had conspired to kill Phoolan to avenge the 1981 Behmai massacre, in which she allegedly killed 17 persons belonging to Thakur community.

Phoolan was killed outside her Ashoka Road residence here on July 25, 2001.