The incident is infamous, as 20 members of the Thakur community were killed by ‘bandit queen’ Phoolan Devi and her gang on February 14, 1981. Following the horrific killings, the FIR named four persons, including Phoolan, and 35 persons were unnamed.
It is the first conviction in the sensational case involving 35 accused, including Phoolan Devi who gained notoriety after the incident and later surrendered and became an MP but was shot dead on July 25, 2001, at the age of 37.
India News: 43 years after the Behmai massacre, Shyam Babu Kewat was sentenced to life imprisonment for the shooting of 20 people by Phoolan Devi and her gang in
Filmmaker Shekhar Kapur dissects his National Award-winning film Bandit Queen (1994). It has been thirty years since the movie first released in cinemas and shocked audiences.