Pratapgarh: The skeleton of a 25-year-old man was on May 26 recovered from a premises previously owned by Uttar Pradesh's jailed independent MLA (Member of Legislative Assembly) Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiya booked under anti-terror law POTA (Prevention of Terrorism Act).

The skeleton was identified as that of one Furoj Saroj of Benimau village under Kunda police station, who was allegedly kidnapped by Raja Bhaiya's henchmen in October last year and was later killed and his body thrown into a pond in the premises, Kunda circle officer Ram Shiromani Pandey said.

Saroj's wife had lodged an FIR (first information report) earlier, alleging that her husband was kidnapped from the village by three persons, he said.

Earlier in January this year, a skeleton was recovered from the pond, which was later identified as that of one Santosh Mishra, Pandey said.

The sprawling pond, which was in possession of Raja Bhaiya was later taken over by Mayawati government and turned into a bird sanctuary.

Raja Bhaiya, who had raised a banner of revolt against the government along with a group of 10 independent legislators, is languishing in jail on charges of threatening a BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) MLA last year.

The government later slapped POTA and the Gangster Act on the MLA and his father.

PTI