Mayawati Denies Reopening Of Cases Against Phoolan Devi

The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister,.Mayawati, today denied that her government had decided to reopen cases against the Samajwadi Party (SP) MP, Phoolan Devi, as alleged by the latter.

Phoolan Devi had yesterday threatened to commit self-immolation in the Lok Sabha if attempts were made by the Mayawati government to reopen cases against her.

Mayawati told reporters here her government had not taken any decision to reverse the orders issued by the then government in 1994 against.Phoolan Devi.

The matter is between the court and.Phoolan Devi and the Uttar Pradesh government does not come in the picture, she said adding the government would honour the court verdict in case of Phoolan Devi.

The then government in 1994 had decided to withdraw 55 cases against Phoolan Devi. Of these 34 were related to Jalaun, nine to Etawah, ten to Kanpur (rural) and two to Hamirpur, the Chief Minister said.

The court at Jalaun had allowed the governments request in respect of three cases only while the court at Kanpur (rural) rejected the governments request for withdrawal of cases in respect of two, she said.

Altogether fifty cases were still pending with the court on which the state government had made request of withdrawal in favour of. Phoolan Devi, she said.