Disgraced UP minister remains 'Raja'

Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiya or “Chote Thakur,” as he is “fondly” referred to, may be an elected leader from Kunda, but people from his constituency say he is no less autocrat than a king.

The very name of Singh strikes fear in the heart of Kunda in Uttar Pradesh’s Pratapgarh district, about 175 kilometers from Lucknow. Despite eight cases pending against him, including cases of murder, dacoity, land grabbing, possessing weapons illegally, Singh wields unlimited power and efforts to “tame” him by former UP chief minister Mayawati, under whose regime he was in jail for six months, have proved futile.

Raja Bhaiya, the name by which he is popular among his electorate, had been first elected to the Assembly from Kunda in 1993 as an independent candidate. The victory in the last Assembly polls was the fifth win for him from Kunda.

According to the locals, Raja Bhaiya presides over a parallel court within his palace where he dispenses “spot justice”.

“From bloody disputes to family feuds...everything goes to the court of Raja Bhaiya and his decision is final...there is no appeal,” they added. Some of the stories associated with Bhaiya’s name may seem to be surreal but they do not fail in spreading the fear. For example, the recovery of a skeleton from one of his ponds only added to the mystery surrounding his palace. One could still find crocodiles in his ponds.

Raja Bhaiya was arrested for the first time in 2002 after BJP MLA Puran Singh alleged that the latter threatened him for life.