S M A KAZMI

DEHRA DUN, AUGUST 3: THE Phoolan murder mystery is getting curiouser and curiouser. Uttaranchal Police officials now say that original Ravinder Singh, co-accused in the murder, was himself imprisoned in Haridwar jail from July 3 to 26, 2001 and not someone else in his place.

Earlier the police had suspected that someone was lodged in the jail in co-accused Ravinder Singh's place to provide him with an alibi.

The new development has given yet another twist to the case, since Sher Singh Rana in his confessional statement had said that the murder was committed by him and Ravinder Singh. Police officials feel that this was just a ploy by Sher Singh to mislead the police and to save one of the accused who is politically well connected.

Meanwhile, Uttaranchal police officials today denied that Rajbir and Shekhar, two other accused were also 'in jail' in Dehra Dun on the day of the murder as reported by media. ''We are not aware of this,'' said Anil Raturi, DIG, police in the office of the Director General of Police, Uttaranchal here.

Harishankar Shukla, SP Haridwar, also denied any knowledge about the stay of the accused in the case at a ashram owned by a politician prior to murder.