The Allahabad High Court on Friday stayed the arrest of controversial independent MLA and former Uttar Pradesh minister Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiya for allegedly giving a false affidavit to procure arms licences.
The Lucknow bench of Justices Abdul Matin and L N Mittal gave the directive on a petition moved by Raja Bhaiya.
An FIR was registered at Hazratganj police station on December 29, 2007, charging the minister in the previous Samajwadi Party government with securing three arms licences by showing his Lucknow address and hiding the one in his native Pratapgarh.
In his affidavit, the MLA stated that he was not involved in any criminal cases, but the police said that 41 cases were registered against him.
Raja Bhaiya was booked under the Prevention Of Terrorist Acts during the previous Bahujan Samaj Party regime.
A few days ago, the Mayawati government ordered that a pond owned by him in Pratapgarh be converted into a bird sanctuary.
