Cleared by CBI in murder case, Akhilesh reinducts Raja Bhaiya as minister

Controversial Uttar Pradesh leader Raghuraj Pratap Singh known better as Raja Bhaiya, who was named in connection with the murder of a police officre last year, was on Friday re-inducted into the UP government cabinet of ministers. Raja Bhaiya was sworn in when Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav expanded his cabinet. [caption id=“attachment_116611” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Raja Bhaiya. PTI[/caption] Raja Bhaiya is an independent MLA elected from Pratapgarh. He resigned after he was named in the First Information Report registered after deputy superintendent of police Zia-ul-Haq was killed by a mob. Parveen Azad, the widow of the police officer who was posted as circle officer in Kunda, alleged that the mob was acting on the directions of Raja Bhaiya. Speaking after the swearing-in ceremony at the Raj Bhavan, Raja Bhaiya said, “I had cleared narco and polygraph tests in the case.” Last month, the Central Bureau of Investigation gave him a clean chit in the case, filing a closure report. Akhilesh, while accepting Raja Bhaiya’s resignation, had specifically stated that he would be reinducted upon being cleared. Haq was killed on March 2, in Balipur village, 75 km west of the Pratapgarh district. Raja Bhaiya was twice questioned by the CBI in the case.