In a significant development, a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court has sentenced 10 individuals to life imprisonment for the murder of Kunda Circle Officer Zia-ul-Haque in Uttar Pradesh. The brutal killing occurred in March 2013 while the officer was on duty in Ballipur village, Pratapgarh. This verdict follows a previous conviction by the same special CBI court, announced last week, where these individuals were found guilty of the heinous crime.
The convicted individuals are Phoolchand Yadav, Pawan Yadav, Manjeet Yadav, Ghanshyam Saroj, Ram Lakhan Gautam, Chotelal Yadav, Ram Aasre, Munne Patel, Shivram Pasi, and Jagat Bahadur Pal. The conviction arrives a year after the Supreme Court directed the CBI to further investigate the alleged role of prominent local politician Raghuraj Pratap Singh, better known as ‘Raja Bhaiya’, in the murder.
The tragic incident unfolded amid clashes that erupted following the shooting of village pradhan Nanhe Lal Yadav. Reports suggest that the village pradhan was shot dead by four officials on the turf of Raja Bhaiya, allegedly by his associates, during a dispute.
DSP Zia-ul-Haque arrived at the scene with three other policemen and rushed the pradhan to the nearest hospital. Upon returning to the village with the deceased pradhan’s body, Haque and his team were met by an enraged mob of around 300 people, some armed. During the ensuing chaos, Haque was separated from his team and brutally beaten by the mob before being shot.
His widow, Parveen Azad, challenged the initial account of events, alleging that other policemen had deserted Haque during the attack.
Raja Bhaiya held a significant position at the time as a dominant local MLA and a powerful member of the Samajwadi Party government led by Akhilesh Yadav. He was an independent legislator who gained notoriety for being a Thakur ‘bahubali’, a term used for influential and powerful individuals, wielding substantial influence in the region. This conviction highlights the complexity of the case and underscores the long-awaited justice delivered to the family of the slain officer. The ongoing investigation regarding the potential involvement of Raja Bhaiya in the murder remains a crucial aspect of this case.
