Phoolan Devi, famously known as the Bandit Queen, remains a controversial and mythologized figure in India. There is a very popular narrative surrounding her suggesting that she avenged her rape by killing all 22 rapists in the Behmai massacre. This narrative has gained widespread traction in popular culture, media portrayals, and social discourse, presenting Phoolan Devi as a vigilante seeking justice. Recently, Phoolan Devi has once again become a topic of discussion on social media.
RJD supporter Priyanka Deshmukh, posted a video and wrote “Even today, Manuvadis, devotees of rapists, and casteist vultures tremble at the name of Phoolan Devi. That’s why they glorify her murderers as heroes and laugh with them in interviews! Phoolan Devi is not just a name; she is a revolution! From fighting against oppression to reaching Parliament, every step of her journey was a battle against injustice. No matter how much hatred you spread, Phoolan lives on in the blood of every woman!” (archived link)
At 22 seconds in Priyanka Deshmukh’s video, it is mentioned that Phoolan Devi and her gang killed 20 rural rapists on February 14, 1981, to avenge the rape committed against them by upper-caste Thakurs.
आज भी मनुवादियों के मिश्रित चमचे, बलात्कारियों के भक्त, और जातिवादी गिद्ध फूलन देवी जी के नाम से थर थर कांपते हैं 🔥🔥
— Priyanka Deshmukh (@anarkaliofara) March 10, 2025
इसीलिए उनका मर्डर करने वालों को ये लोग हीरो बनाते हैं, और इंटरव्यू में उनके साथ ठहाके लगाते हैं!!
फूलन देवी सिर्फ एक नाम नहीं, एक क्रांति हैं!
शोषण के ख़िलाफ़… pic.twitter.com/VsAvG5zxdz
Another handle asserted, “In history, only one woman gave the right punishment to rapists. 22 rapists were made to stand in a line and shot in the chest.” (archived link)
बलात्कारियों को सही सजा इतिहास में सिर्फ एक महिला ने दी थी। 22 बलात्कारियों को एक लाइन में खड़ा करके सीने में गोली मार दी थी।
— Raksha Ram (Ambedkervadi) (@ram_raksha63570) March 12, 2025
फूलन देवी🇮🇳
माता फूलन देवी जिंदाबाद 💐🙏🏻#BBB25 #ElonMusk pic.twitter.com/nAQvjoMMvl
User Aarav Gautam stated, “In the history till date, only one woman has been able to give proper punishment to the rapists, her name was Phoolan Devi.” (archived link)
In the history till date, only 1️⃣ woman has been able to give proper punishment to the rapists, her name was Phoolan Devi 💪🏽❤️🔥#PhoolanDevipic.twitter.com/eQkvv6hcVb
— Aarav Gautam (@IAmAarav8) March 13, 2025
Mayank Morya wrote, “Phoolan Devi: A bandit or a warrior like Lakshmibai? In a podcast, a Mishra and a Thakur mocked her murder, but when 22 Thakurs raped her, not a single prominent casteist condemned the crime. The only reason Phoolan Devi was raped was that she belonged to a lower caste. You will be shocked to know that she was only 18 years old when 22 men raped her. Writing and reading about this sends chills down my spine, and tears well up in my eyes. Just imagine—an 18-year-old woman, brutally assaulted by 22 men, older than her. And they didn’t stop there. After the rape, they paraded her naked through the entire village. Yet, this incident was never reported in any newspaper. No headlines ever mentioned that 22 Thakur men gang-raped a lower-caste woman. After the rape, there was no police, no government, no justice. At that time, in our country, lower castes were treated like insects. But a woman is still a woman, regardless of caste. The government never thought about that. Phoolan accepted her own death the moment this tragedy happened and had no choice but to seek vengeance—she fled to Chambal. The Thakur men raped Phoolan Devi, but the so-called “land of bandits”—Chambal—kept her safe. So, think—who were the real criminals? The Thakurs of society or the bandits of Chambal? Then came the day Phoolan Devi killed those 22 men, and the news spread across the country. Her rape never made it to the newspapers, but when she took revenge, the whole nation heard about it—because the newspapers were also run by casteists. After that, she was imprisoned, and from jail, she wrote her story, through which people finally understood her pain. In 1996, she contested the Lok Sabha elections from Mirzapur and won—she became an MP. But the Thakur community was still hungry for revenge, and on July 25, 2001, a man named Rana murdered her at her residence in Delhi. He thought he could erase Phoolan Devi by killing her, but her voice still echoes across this nation. “The ravines of Chambal thundered, her gun was old but mighty. Her name was Phoolan Devi—the Queen of Chambal.” (archived link)
फूलन देवी डकैत या नारी लक्ष्मीबाई जैसी?
— मयंक मौर्या (@Mdeoria1) March 12, 2025
एक पॉडकास्ट में एक मिश्रा और ठाकुर ने मिलकर इनके हत्या का मजाक बनाया
लेकिन 22 ठाकुरों ने रेप कर दिया कभी किसी बड़े जातिवादियों ने उस रेप को गलत नहीं कहा
फूलन देवी की रेप करने की सिर्फ और सिर्फ एक ही वजह थी उनका छोटी जाति से होना… pic.twitter.com/d5aeICQuvt
In the past, the Dalit propaganda ecosystem have glorified the image of this notorious bandit, portraying her as a role model. Nagina MP Chandra Shekhar Azad wrote, “Salutations to the brave Phoolan Devi Ji on her martyrdom day, who eliminated 22 rapists, symbolizing rebellion for self-respect and serving as an inspiration for women.” (archived link)
फूलन देवी डकैत या नारी लक्ष्मीबाई जैसी?
— मयंक मौर्या (@Mdeoria1) March 12, 2025
एक पॉडकास्ट में एक मिश्रा और ठाकुर ने मिलकर इनके हत्या का मजाक बनाया
लेकिन 22 ठाकुरों ने रेप कर दिया कभी किसी बड़े जातिवादियों ने उस रेप को गलत नहीं कहा
फूलन देवी की रेप करने की सिर्फ और सिर्फ एक ही वजह थी उनका छोटी जाति से होना… pic.twitter.com/d5aeICQuvt
The Dalit Voice, a handle centered around caste based propaganda asserted, “On February 14, 1981, Phoolan killed 22 Thakur caste Hindu rapists. This simple girl seen in this picture is Warrior Phoolan Devi, the history of her atrocities is very drawn, think what would have happened to that innocent girl who was roamed naked in the village. Many people raped her. But that girl was not a coward. she didn’t commit suicide but took revenge, she first went to the legal process, went to the police & the police chased her away, She wrote a letter to the PM, CM but did not take any action due to the pressure of Thakur.” (archived link)
#GrandSalute On February 14, 1981, Phoolan killed 22 Thakur caste Hindu rapists. This simple girl seen in this picture is Warrior Phoolan Devi, the history of her atrocities is very drawn, think what would have happened to that innocent girl who was roamed naked in the village… pic.twitter.com/UXZ5WqNsIw
— The Dalit Voice (@ambedkariteIND) February 14, 2023
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Fact Check
Contrary to the popular belief that Phoolan avenged her rape by killing 22 rapists, a deeper examination of historical records and testimonies reveals a different story.
During our investigation, we found a ground report from Dainik Bhaskar. According to this report, Phoolan’s uncle had captured 40 bighas of land from her father. When Phoolan turned 11, she tried to reclaim the land from her uncle. In response, her uncle filed a robbery case against her, which led to her imprisonment. After being released from jail, Phoolan came into contact with some dacoits. Members of another gang of dacoits raped her. To take revenge for this, Phoolan carried out the Behmai massacre, killing 20 people by shooting them. Following this incident, she came to be known as the Bandit Queen. A bandit is a person who engages in robbery, especially as part of an armed group. The term is often used to describe outlaws, highway robbers, or members of gangs that operate in remote areas.
Dainik Bhaskar conducted an on-ground investigation and spoke to Thakur Rajaram, the sole plaintiff in the Behmai massacre case, who witnessed the incident while hiding in the bushes. Thakur Rajaram stated that on February 14, 1981, around 2:00 to 2:20 PM, Phoolan, along with her dacoit accomplices, began surrounding the village. The villagers initially assumed that some dacoit gang was merely passing through. However, Phoolan and her gang started looting every house. At that time there were about 35 to 40 people with Phoolan. 23 people from the village and 3 laborers were captured and brought near the mound. Phoolan then asked who supplied food to Lalaram and Shri Ram (whom she had alleged conspired to rape her) and who among them was an informant. Without hesitation, she opened fire on the gathered men, killing 20 people on the spot. Around 4:00 to 4:30 PM, Phoolan and her gang left the village.
Shriram and Lalaram, residents of Dharampur, located 7 km away from Behmai, have both passed away. However, their younger brother, Manna Singh, still lives in Dharampur. He told Dainik Bhaskar that Lalaram and Shriram had killed Phoolan’s close aide, Vikram Mallah. After this, some people raped Phoolan.
In another report by Dainik Bhaskar, Manna Singh stated that his brothers did not become outlaws or bandits without reason—they were forced into it due to circumstances. There was an ongoing land dispute in their family, and their uncle was trying to seize their land. As a result, Shriram and Lalaram killed their uncle and nephew.
When Manna Singh was asked how Phoolan’s rivalry started, he explained that after becoming dacoits, Shriram and Lalaram formed their own gang, which included Vikram Mallah. At that time, Shriram and Lalaram were widely known. Once, the police arrested both brothers, and in their absence, Vikram Mallah took command of the gang. When Shriram and Lalaram were released from jail, a dispute arose over who would lead the gang. Eventually, when the opportunity arose, Shriram killed Vikram. If he hadn’t, Vikram would have killed both brothers. This is why Phoolan developed enmity with Lalaram and Shriram.
When asked about the reason behind the Behmai massacre, Manna Singh stated that some people from Behmai had wronged Phoolan. She later took revenge, but all 20 people she killed were innocent. Not a single person who had wronged her was among the victims. A few years later, Phoolan surrendered in Madhya Pradesh.
Dharam Singh, a resident of Behmai whose family members were also killed in the Behmai massacre, said that if the people of Behmai had wronged Phoolan, she should have killed only the Thakurs. Why did she shoot Harijans and Muslims as well? Her enmity was only with Shriram and Lalaram. When they came, we provided them with food and water. This is what annoyed her. She used to say that food, water, and grains should be given only to us.
Furthermore, according to Patrika’s ground report, Jentar, a resident of Behmai, recalls his harrowing experience while showing his scars. He says, “When Phoolan’s gang opened fire, we were caught in the middle. To survive, we dropped to the ground and pretended to be dead. After the gunfire stopped, the dacoits went around checking each person before shooting them again. I was also shot in the chest, and the bullet tore through my body. My treatment continued for nearly three years, from Kanpur to Lucknow. It was sheer luck that I survived.”
The report also mentions that about 7 kilometers from Behmai lies Damanpur, the village of Shriram and Lalaram, two key figures in Phoolan Devi’s life. Though both brothers passed away long ago, their younger brother Manna Singh still lives there with his family. Manna explains that Shriram and Lalaram killed Phoolan’s close associate, Vikram Mallah. After that, Phoolan was subjected to sexual assault by some men. She held Shriram and Lalaram responsible for her suffering and vowed revenge.
Fearing retaliation, the brothers fled the ravines, but Phoolan was misled into believing that they were hiding in Behmai. Acting on this false information, she executed 20 people in the infamous massacre. Manna adds that Shriram later died in a police encounter related to the Behmai incident, while Lalaram was murdered on May 17, 2000.
Apart from this, we also found a memorial for the victims of the Behmai massacre. Among the names of the deceased on this memorial, three individuals were not residents of Behmai. One of the names listed is Nazir Khan, who was reported to be a resident of Sikandara village.
We found a report in Amar Ujala stating that Shahi Mohammad, a resident of Ashok Nagar, Sikandara, is also an eyewitness to the Behmai massacre. He used to work with Nazir Khan. At that time, he was around 10 years old. He was building a roof with Nazir Khan when Phoolan Devi and her dacoit gang arrived and surrounded the village. Nazir Khan was also shot along with the other villagers. Shafi hid among the pile of dead bodies. Once the dacoits left, he fled toward his village on his bicycle.
We also found an interview with Brij Lal, former DGP of Uttar Pradesh. A 1977-batch IPS officer, Brij Lal has since retired and was later appointed Chairman of the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes Commission. Subsequently, the BJP nominated him as a Rajya Sabha member. In the interview, Brij Lal refuted the claim that Phoolan Devi was raped by Thakurs of Behmai, calling it ‘totally false’. He clarified that the assault did not happen in Behmai but in the ravines, and the perpetrators were members of Phoolan’s gang, including Lalaram and Shriram.
Additionally, a report by The Quint states that out of the 20 people killed in the Behmai incident, 17 were Thakurs, one was a Mallah, one was a Dhanuk, and one was a Muslim. The report also recounted the harrowing ordeal of a girl named Seeta, whose father, Bhanwari, was killed in a massacre. In 1981, when Seeta was merely a year old, dacoits led by Phoolan Devi mercilessly hurled her from a cot. The trauma left her stunted, and she never grew. By 2005, at the age of 25, Seeta—only a foot in height—tragically passed away.
| Claim | Phoolan Devi had killed 20-22 Thakurs who had raped her. |
| Claimed by | Social media users |
| Fact check | In the Behmai incident, Phoolan Devi killed 20 people. It is often said that she avenged herself by killing 20 upper-caste men who had raped her. However, among those killed were Nazir Khan, Tulsiram, and Ramavatar, who were not from the Thakur community and were not residents of Behmai either. In fact, Lalaram and Shriram, the ones accused of raping Phoolan, were also not from Behmai. |
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