Bandit Queen murder suspects charged

Police in India say they have formally charged 11 people in connection with the murder of the bandit-turned-politician Phoolan Devi in July.

All the suspects are charged with murder and criminal conspiracy as well as the attempted murder of Phoolan Devi's security guard.

Those charged include Sher Singh Rana, whom police regard as the prime suspect.

The police say he confessed to the murder of the 38-year-old member of parliament two days after she was shot dead in front of her official residence in Delhi.

Devi rose to notoriety in 1981 when 22 upper caste men were massacred in a northern village to avenge a gang rape.

Devi was part of India's bandit folklore and later starred in a film about her life which was shown worldwide.

In 1996, she became a member of the Indian lower house of parliament.

She was defeated in the 1998 elections and made a comeback the following year.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service