UP cop murder: CBI grills Raja Bhaiya for second day

Pratapgarh: Former Uttar Pradesh Minister Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiya was on Thursday questioned by the CBI for the second day for nearly eight hours in connection with the killings in Balipur of DSP Zia ul Haq and village head Nanhe Yadav nearly two months ago. CBI sources said Raja Bhaiya was quizzed about his location at the time of crime, his alleged association with Pal family which is seen as prime suspects in the murder of Nanhe Yadav besides other details. [caption id=“attachment_789645” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Raja Bhaiya. PTI[/caption] The sources said unlike yesterday when several of his associates including his cousin Akshay Pratap Singh was also questioned, CBI today grilled only Raja Bhaiya over aspects of the crime which took place on 2 March evening this year. Last month, CBI had arrested one Bhulle Pal, a security guard when Raja Bhaiya was minister. Pal had allegedly led a mob, enraged by the killing of Balipur village head Nanhe Yadav, to kill the police officer. CBI has also taken into custody Rajeev Singh and Guddu Singh who are considered close to the former minister. In the FIR filed on the basis of a complaint by the slain DSP’s wife Parveen Azad, it has been alleged that on the directions of Raja Bhaiya, Nagar Panchayat Chairman Gulshan Yadav, Hari Om Srivastava, Raja Bhaiya’s driver Rohit Singh and supporter Guddu Singh first assaulted her husband with sticks and rods and later shot him dead. The allegations have been denied by Raja Bhaiya. PTI