Shamsher Singh Rana, prime accused in the Phoolan Devi murder case, escaped from Delhi's Tihar Jail on Tuesday.

His associates, who posed as Uttaranchal policemen, took him away on a "fake" warrant.

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Rana, who is accused of gunning down the member of Parliament outside her official residence in New Delhi in July 2001, was whisked away shortly before the real police party from Uttaranchal came.

Rana's associates allegedly approached the jail authorities early morning claiming that the accused was to be produced in a court in Uttaranchal in connection with a case and produced a "fake" warrant, police said.