CBI gives clean chit to Raja Bhaiyya in UP cop's murder

The Central Bureau of Investigation on Thursday filed a supplementary chargesheet in connection with the murder of Kunda Deputy Superintendent of Police Zia-ul Haq before a special court in which it has given a clean chit to former Uttar Pradesh Minister Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiyya.

The agency also filed a "technical" closure report in the first information filed by Haq's wife Parveen Azad in which she had accused Raja Bhaiya of conspiring to murder the officer.

The CBI has requested the court to tag it along with the case registered by the state police after the incident, which is also being probed by the agency.

The agency told the court it has come to light during the probe that Raja Bhaiyya used his influence to obtain a substantial number of arms licences for local villagers from the district administration of Pratapgarh, which were used at his behest for carrying out alleged illegal activities. However, the CBI said this was not the area of its probe and a report in this regard is being sent to the state government for a thorough probe and necessary action.

The CBI also recommended major penalty against an inspector, two Sub-inspectors and a constable as they had abandoned Haq when he was attacked by villagers.

The agency had filed a charge sheet in connection with the case on June 7 naming 13 persons as accused in the DSP's murder. In the chargesheet, the CBI provided additional evidence against the accused persons.

In its chargesheet, the CBI had said the then CO of Kunda had gone to the house of Nanhe Yadav, then pradhan of Balipur in Pratapgarh district, on March 2 in order to deal with law and order situation arising out of his murder. "The family members and supporters of Nanhe Yadav led by his brother Suresh Yadav (since dead) allegedly assaulted the then CO and the other three police officials accompanying him. The then CO was caught and brutally assaulted by the accused persons but the three other police officials managed to escape," the spokesperson had said in a statement.

Raja Bhaiyya, who was the food and civil supplies minister, had to resign from the Cabinet on March 4 after Haq's wife had accused him of being involved in the DSP's murder.

CBI sources had said earlier in the day that the agency had not found any anomaly during the lie detector test conducted on Raja Bhaiyya. The sources had said the agency had not found sufficient evidence to prosecute him.

Raja Bhaiyya was questioned by the CBI on May 15 and 16. He was also subjected to a polygraph test on June 20 at the Central Forensic Laboratory.

The chargesheet was filed by investigating officer Surendra Singh Gurum in the court of Special Judicial Magistrate (CBI) Neelkant Mani Tripathi, who fixed August 7 as the next date for filing protest application by the complainant.

Apart from Raja Bhaiya, the CBI also gave clean chit to Guddu Singh, Rohit Singh, Hari Om Srivastava and Gulshan Yadav. Reacting on the development, the former minister said since the day of the incident, he had been saying that a CBI inquiry should be conducted in the matter. "It's rare that a person, whose involvement is alleged, asks for CBI inquiry," he told reporters.

Raja Bhaiyya said he faced the inquiry and even gave written consent for polygraph test to CBI as well as in the court. "The truth has finally been revealed. I express gratitude towards SP MLAs, ministers and people of Kunda for standing by me during this tough period," he said.

The former minister said those accused of the crime were not present in the area at the time of the incident. "The FIR was lodged with malice and had no legal sanctity. I resigned, as it was necessary for the image of the government and the Chief Minister," he said.

When asked about the possibility of his re-induction in the government as minister, Raja Bhaiyya said he was with 'Netaji' (SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav) and (CM) Akhilesh Yadav and did not elaborate further.

Image: Former UP minister Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiyya