Raja Bhaiya had to resign from Akhilesh Yadav's ministry after he was booked for Haq's murder. Haq's wife had lodged an FIR accusing him of hatching the murder conspiracy. Haq was shot dead on March 2 in Balipur village in Kunda in Pratapgarh district where he had gone to probe the murder of a village leader.

The CBI, which is probing the murder, has held that there is no evidence to connect Raja Bhaiya to the case. But Haq's wife has decided to challenge this legally.

In 2011 when Mayawati was in power, Raja Bhaiya was booked under the Gangster's Act. He was granted bail by the high court but the government challenged it in the apex court.

The government's stand changed after the Samajwadi Party returned to power in 2012. It filed an application in the court to withdraw the petition against Raja Bhaiya, who was supporting the SP government. The withdrawal application attached an affidavit by Haq and a report prepared by him on November 9, 2012, in which he said Raja Bhaiya had not violated any of his bail conditions, nor threatened or influenced any witness. It also stated that Raja Bhaiya was not involved in any such incident after his alleged involvement in the case in question.

Based on Haq's report, the SP of Pratapgarh wrote to the DM that there was no ground to pursue the case in the Supreme Court and the petition should be withdrawn. On November 10, 2012, the DM forwarded the recommendation to the government with his consent to withdraw the petition. "On the basis of the recommendations made by the SP, Pratapgarh, on the basis of the report forwarded by the Kunda Circle Officer, the state has taken a decision to withdraw the petition unconditionally," the government pleaded.

The court last week permitted the government to withdraw its petition.