Raja Bhaiya, whose real name is Raghuraj Pratap Singh, was an Independent Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) belonging to Bhadri family Oudh of Kunda, Uttar Pradesh.
He contested elections from Kunda in 1993 at the age of 26 and won all the six elections held since then. He has served as minister under Rajnath Singh, Kalyan Singh, and Mulayalm Singh Yadav.
The 44-year-old politician served as minister for Jail, and Food and Civil Supplies in the Samajwadi Party (SP) government in Uttar Prades, He resigned a few days ago after being slapped with criminal charges in connection with the murder of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Zia-ul-Haq last week.
The former UP minister is now under the scanner of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the killing of DSP Zia-ul-Haq on Saturday. He could be arrested as the investigating agency, which took over the case on Wednesday, booked him for muder based on the complaint of the victim's widow Parveen Azad.
The UP state police on Sunday booked the him for criminal conspiracy, but the CBI changed the charge to murder under section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Sources said that the CBI has filed at least four FIRs after taking over the case.
The DSP was allegedly killed by four associates of Raja Bhaiya after arriving in Balaspur village, Kunda, to investigate the murder of village pradhan, Nanhe Yadav, and his brother over a land dispute. The police officer's body was found in the village but the police forces accompanying him had gone into hiding.
Raja Bhaiya has denied his involvement in the murder of the DSP. CBI has lodged an FIR against him after Haq's widow accused him and his three close aides for conspiracy.
The UP police failed to make any breakthrough before the CBI took over the case. Eight policemen were suspended for fleeing from the crime scene, and two persons, including Raja Bhaiya's supporter Guddu were arrested. The police have not recovered the missing revolver and mobile phone of the slain DSP. They have also not found the weapon that was used to kill him.
Police said that the DSP was killed by a single shot that passed through his chest. However, the victim's wife Parveen Azad, a medical student, claimed that she saw at least three bullet wounds in her husband's body and demanded a second autopsy.
Surprisingly, Raja Bhaiya has not been arrested in spite of being accused for the murder. Claiming that he has been framed in the case, the former minister said that both he and his aide, Guddu Singh, are innocent.
The CBI said that it could order for a second autopsy as requested by the widow of the slain DSP if needed.
Raja Bhaiya's Past Criminal Records:
Raja Bhaiya has a criminal past with as many as eight cases, including kidnap and murder. He was arrested in 2002 under the order of then chief minister Mayawati after BJP legislator Puran Singh Bundela alleged kidnapping.
He was then dubbed as a terrorist by the Mayawati-led government and sent to jail under Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA), along with father Udai Pratap Singh and cousin Akshay Pratap Singh.
However, SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav dropped all charges against Raja Bhaiya within a few minutes of coming to power in 2003 and made him cabinet minister. He was also given 'Z' category security, despite the number of pending criminal cases against him.
Controversy around Raja Bhaiya doesn't end there. A police officer named R.S. Pandey, who raided his house and recovered an AK-47 rifle, accused him of seeking revenge on him. Pandey was later killed in a mysterious road accident.
