Tihar authorities ignorant about Rana`s autobiography

Tihar authorities have told a Delhi court that Sher Singh Rana had neither told them about his autobiography nor taken their permission to publish it.

New Delhi: Tihar jail authorities have told a Delhi court that Sher Singh Rana, the prime accused in the murder of bandit-turned-MP Phoolan Devi, had neither told them about his autobiography nor taken their permission to publish it.

"It appears the applicant (Rana) has neither informed about the book to the jail authorities nor has sought any permission for its publication," the jail authorities said in a written reply to the court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Vidya Parkash. The submissions were made in response to the court`s notice seeking reply to Rana`s plea that his request to jail authorities to lend a part of royalty from his autobiography towards welfare of poor inmates has gone unheard. Earlier this month, Rana had told the court that a leading publishing house has published his autobiography `Jail Diary: Tihar se Kabul Kandahar Tak.` Rana had also told the court that earlier he had written to the Director General of Prisons for permission to give part of the royalty on his autobiography for the welfare of Tihar jail inmates, but had received no response to his plea. He had also annexed a copy of his letter written to the authorities. The authorities, however, claimed in the reply that no such letter was ever received from Rana and the same is not traceable in its record. The jail superintendent, however, submitted that as and when Rana approaches him regarding publication of the book and to share part of the royalty, the request would be considered accordingly. Rana had allegedly shot dead Phoolan Devi outside her official residence at 44, Ashoka Road in New Delhi on July 25, 2001. He had escaped from Tihar Jail in 2004, but was arrested later. PTI