Phoolan Devi, Indian lawyer and politician (d. 2001)
Phoolan Devi (10 August 1963 – 25 July 2001), popularly known as "Bandit Queen", was a bandit who later became a female right activist and politician from the Samajwadi Party who later served as Member of Parliament.

Born into a poor family in rural Uttar Pradesh, Devi endured poverty, child marriage and had an abusive marriage before taking to a life of crime. As a result, Devi sought escape by running away and joining a gang of bandits. She was the only woman in that gang, and her relationship with one gang member (Vikram Mallah), coupled with caste difference, caused a gunfight between gang members, killing Vikram. The victorious rival faction took turns to rape Devi repeatedly over several weeks. After escaping, Devi rejoined the remnants of her Mallah's faction who were gangs of Mallaah and later her new gang descended upon the village of Behmai to exact revenge.Devi evaded capture for two years after the massacre before she and her few surviving gang members surrendered to the police in 1983. She was charged with 48 crimes, including multiple murders, plunder, arson and kidnapping for ransom. Phoolan spent the next eleven years in jail. The respectful sobriquet 'Devi' was conferred upon her by the media and public.In 1994, the state government headed by Mulayam Singh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party withdrew all charges against her and Devi was released. She then stood for election to parliament as a candidate of the Samajwadi Party and was twice elected to the Lok Sabha as the Member of Parliament for Mirzapur. In 2001, she was shot dead at the gates of her official bungalow (allotted to her as MP) in New Delhi by Sher Singh Rana whose kinsmen had been slaughtered at Behmai by her gang. The 1994 film Bandit Queen (made around the time of her release from jail) is loosely based on her life until that point.