He arrested Bhaiyya, now runs scared seeking protection

He is a Minister, the other a Police Inspector. Usually, the latter should be giving him protection. But this is the land of Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiyya, and so it is the Inspector that is running from police to post seeking protection and alleging threat to his family from the newly appointed Union Minister of Food and Civil Supplies.

Inspector Paramhans Mishra was posted as in-charge of Kunda police station in Pratapgarh at the time the Mayawati government went around rounding up Raja Bhaiyya and his family members under POTA. He was also part of the raids on Raja Bhaiyya’s estate. With the change of guard at Lucknow, and Raja Bhaiyya into a ministerial chair, Mishra fears he will be at the receiving end. ‘‘I have given a letter to the Mahoba SP, demanding security for myself and the family. Two police guards had been placed for protection of my family members in Ghazipur district but both of them were withdrawn a few months back without any reason,’’ Mishra told The Indian Express. Incidentally, Mahoba SP Sanjeev Gupta says he hasn’t received any such letter.

Raja Bhaiyya too denies posing any threat to Mishra. ‘‘When I don’t nourish any grudge against Mayawati, why should I target junior police officials?’’ he says.

Earlier, the Circle Officer, Kunda, Ram Shiromani Pandey, had got into trouble after Mulayam Singh Yadav became the CM. Pandey was transferred to Kanpur, and later charged with patronising a sex racket.