CBI court issues summons to Raja Bhaiyya, others

Lucknow, Sep 18: In a fresh twist to the 2013 murder of deputy superintendent of police Zia-ul-Haq, a special CBI court has summoned Uttar Pradesh Minister Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiyya on October 3.

The court on Thursday also summoned 14 others, including member of legislative council and Raja Bhaiyya's cousin Akshay Pratap Singh, police station house officer Manoj Kumar Shukla and one man named Sanjeev Singh.

The special court presided over by Manoj Kumar issued summons to Raja Bhaiyya and others after going through and trashing the Central Bureau of Investigation's closure report.

Haq was killed in Balipur village of Pratapgarh district in March 2013.

Haq's widow Parveen Azad said on Friday that she welcomed the dismissal of the CBI's final report that gave a clean chit to Raja Bhaiyya, and added that hopes of getting justice for her late husband have been re-kindled.

"The CBI has been bought over and a final closure report exonerating the minister and his men had been managed. Now that the court has summoned them, I am very hopeful and positive that justice would be done," she said.

The CBI court on July 8, 2014, ordered a further probe into the CBI closure report but it was challenged by the premiere investigative agency in the high court where the matter is still pending.

Meanwhile, a suspense over the fate of Raja Bhaiyya continues as he quit the cabinet last time his name figured in the FIR. Fresh court summons could mean more trouble for him.

IANS