Masked Gunmen Kill India's 'Bandit Queen'

N E W   D E L H I , July 25, 2001 -- One of India's best-known women, Phoolan Devi — otherwise known as the "Bandit Queen" — was shot dead by three unidentified gunmen outside her house today.

Lionized by the Indian press and by an acclaimed 1994 film, Devi captured the Indian public's imagination for more than two decades for the leaps she made: from pauper to criminal chieftain, from rape victim to avenger, and from jail to parliament.

Devi, 37, was returning from parliament to her house in the high-security heart of the Indian capital for lunch today when the gunmen pumped five bullets into her.

She was rushed immediately to the hospital, where she was declared dead. Her businessman husband and relatives wept over her body in the emergency room.

The gunmen escaped in a car, which was later found abandoned in a nearby street. Police recovered a gun and several bullets from the car.

An Indian Robin Hood

Police say the motive for the attack was unclear, but they knew Devi had made plenty of enemies since she lived the life of an outlaw in the rough wild country of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh in central India.

Born to a low-caste poor family, she was gang-raped at a young age, then ostracized by people in her village.

This forced her to leave home, and she joined a band of criminals who roamed the countryside killing and looting people.

She rose to notoriety in 1981 when 22 upper-caste men were massacred in the Uttar Pradesh village of Behmai, in what has become known as the St. Valentine's Day massacre.

It was believed that this was Devi's act of revenge for the wrongs she suffered as a youth. Her mystique grew especially since no one had ever seen her, and she gained a reputation as a Robin Hood-like figure.

The press followed her eagerly, and countless books were also written about her. The romance she had with a fellow bandit in her 10 years on the lam also became part of the movie about her.

Devi always denied taking part in the massacre in Behmai, but nevertheless surrendered to police in the central state of Madhya Pradesh in 1983.

The Slings and Arrows of Parliament

She was released on parole in 1994 after other charges against her in Uttar Pradesh were dropped, and she joined the regional Samajwadi Party, which represents low castes.

She proved to be a popular and feisty public speaker, and became a member of the lower house of parliament in 1996.

She was defeated in a 1998 election, but true to the theme of her life, made a comeback in 1999.

Indian President K.R. Narayanan condemned her attackers and hailed her for the progress she made.

"Her life was a story of rebellion and successful defiance against oppression and exploitation," he said in a statement.

"Having braved the prejudices that an orthodox society heaps on a woman: poor, backward and a social outcast, she rose to become a member of parliament in her own right."

There were suspicions that her killing might have been politically motivated, as the state she represented was gearing up for legislative assembly elections, expected to be held before the end of this year.

ABCNEWS' Satish Jacob in New Delhi contributed to this report.