Judicial custody of Raja Bhaiya extended

The judicial custody of Independent member of Legislative Assembly Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiya, Samajwadi Party member of Parliament Shailendra Kumar, member of Legislative Council Akshay Pratap Singh alias Gopalji, MLA Vinod Saroj and seven others was extended on Saturday by 14 days by a local court in Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh.

According to prosecution sources, Chief Judicial Magistrate Manjula Sarkar extended the judicial custody on their plea that they needed more time for investigations against Shailendra Kumar, Vinod Saroj, Gopalji and Raja Bhaiya.

They were among the 11 people arrested on December 19 after a first information report was registered against them by Manoj Kumar Shukla, Bahujan Samaj Party candidate for Babuganj block head post, for allegedly threatening him. They were later produced before a court which sent them to 14-days judicial custody.

Raja Bhaiya as well as his cousin and MLC Gopalji were brought amidst tight security from Bareilly jail, where they were shifted on December 26, to appear before the court, they said.

Accusing the ruling BSP government of being autocratic, Raja Bhaiya alleged that action was being taken against him under pressure from senior officers.

SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav had earlier denounced the arrest of the four lawmakers, saying the ruling BSP was trying to terrorise its workers to win local body polls.

Condemning the arrest, SP state president Akhilesh Yadav had said, "Mayawati government is harassing Raja Bhaiya in a bid to demoralise him, but he will not bow down and we will struggle against his harassment."

Vinod Saroj had also lodged a counter FIR against Shukla and 20 others.