Ranchi, April 25: Ranchi too played a role in the making of Sher Singh Rana, the alleged killer of bandit queen Phoolan Devi.

Rana got a passport (E-7865873) made in Ranchi using the alias Sanjay Kumar Gupta. The document, issued by the Ranchi regional passport office, was found on Rana when he was arrested in Calcutta last evening.

The recovery of the passport has triggered a blame game among police, the administration and the passport office in Ranchi.

The passport was issued to Rana on the recommendation of then subdivisional magistrate (sadar) Vinay Kumar Sinku under the Tatkal service on May 24, 2004, three months after his dramatic escape from Tihar jail.

Information pieced together from police sources suggest that Rana had come to Ranchi and got in touch with one Badal Yogi, who used to run an air-hostess training centre at Raj Mansion Building in Hinoo. Yogi also used to work as a passport agent.

It was Yogi who got the passport issued in the name of Sanjay Kumar Gupta. The address given was Raj Mansion Building, near Hinoo Chowk, Ranchi, Jharkhand. This was the same place where Yogi had his office.

The recommendation order says Sanjay Kumar Gupta has a good character and reputation and hence a passport should be issued. What is significant is that a Punjab police team arrested Yogi last April from Ranchi in connection with a fake passport racket.

Investigations revealed that Sanjay Kumar Gupta is a fake name. Vinod Prakash, the owner of Raj Mansion Building, said he had never given accommodation to anyone by that name.

Mother’s pride

Sher Singh Rana’s mother said today her son was “a pride for the country as he was the only one to pay his respects at the remains of Prithviraj Chauhan”.

Police had said Rana had visited Ghazni in Afghanistan last year in pursuit of the relics of the 12th century Rajput king.

“My son has only served the country. He brought the remains of Prithviraj Chauhan to India,” Satwati Devi said.