The crime branch of the Delhi police on Monday quizzed Ummed Singh, husband of slain Samajwadi Party MP Phoolan Devi, for the second day about the reasons for his wife to exclude him from her proposed will and his alleged acquaintance with prime suspect Sher Singh Rana alias Pankaj. Senior crime branch officials, however, described the interrogation as a 'regular' one. ''we are interrogating him. But that's a usual one,'' joint commissioner of police (crime) K K Paul told reporters. His interrogation, which started in the morning, continued till late in the evening. He was first interrogated at Phoolan's 44, Ashoka road residence and then taken to the crime branch office. Ummed Singh was interrogated for about an hour on Sunday.
The crime branch sleuths also interrogated the other family members of Phoolan Devi -- her sisters Munni Devi and Rukmani, Brother Shiv Narayan, Munni's husband Har Govind and Rukmani's son Badri Prasad -- for the second day. Phoolan was killed outside her residence in the capital on Wednesday afternoon.
The sisters had claimed that Ummed Singh knew Pankaj very well and the latter was a regular visitor to 44, Ashoka road.
The interrogation of Ummed Singh assumes significance in the light of revelations that in her will, which was being finalised, Phoolan Devi had omitted him from inheriting any of her assets. His alleged links with Pankaj and Samajwadi Party activist Uma Kashyap, the woman who travelled with Pankaj from Roorkee to Phoolan's Delhi residence only a few hours before her killing, had also raised suspicion.
Ummed Singh, it is understood, was also asked questions about the fact that he would be the direct beneficiary of all the properties of Phoolan on her death. Ummed not only denied his links with Pankaj or Uma Kashyap but also that his wife was preparing any will.
Bureau Report