New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday dropped proceedings against Tej Pratap Yadav, elder son of RJD chief Lalu Prasad, over alleged links with a key accused in the murder of Siwan-based journalist Rajdev Ranjan after the CBI submitted that there was no evidence to link the former Bihar health minister with the alleged killer.

A bench of Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, however, said Rajdev's widow Asha Ranjan was free to move the "appropriate court" if and when she comes across any proof of Tej Pratap's "criminality".

"It is submitted by Mr Aman Lekhi, learned ASG (additional solicitor general) along with Mr P.K. Dey, learned counsel appearing for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), that it is investigating into the matter with regard to the involvement of Mohammad Kaif and Mohammad Javed, who are already in custody," the apex court said.

"...it is the stand of the CBI that they have not been able to link him (Tej Pratap) with any criminal activity in so far as the photograph and the transcript are concerned. In view of the aforesaid, we do not intend to keep this writ petition pending.

"However," the court added, "liberty is granted to the petitioner (Asha) to approach the appropriate court in case there is any kind of deviation by the respondent no. 4, which would fall within the concept of criminality."

Ranjan, the Siwan bureau chief of Hindi daily Hindustan, was shot dead on May 13, 2016,. His widow has accused jailed RJD leader Mohammad Shahabudddin of plotting the murder for Rajdev reporting against the don-turned-lawmaker. Asha had also alleged that after the murder, Mohammad Kaif, one of the prime suspects in her husband's murder, was seen in a photograph along with Tej Pratap and the then Siwan superintendent of police, suggesting that the accused persons enjoyed high political patronage.

However, the CBI in January this year said there was no evidence to prove the involvement of Tej Pratap with Kaif, and the the photo of Tej Pratap and Kaif was dated February 12, 2016, about three months before Rajdev's murder and not after as alleged by Asha.

"So far, no role of Tej Pratap Yadav and superintendent of police, Siwan, has surfaced during the investigation by CBI in this case," the CBI stated in its affidavit.

The CBI had taken up the case in September 2016, amidst allegations that the local police were trying to shield several key accused persons including Shahabuddin.

On February 15 last year, the apex court had directed shifting of Shahabuddin from the Siwan jail to Tihar Jail in New Delhi for conduct of trials in 45 criminal cases through video-conferencing to ensure that witnesses depose without fear.

The apex court had passed the directions while allowing two separate petitions filed by Asha Ranjan and Chandrakeshwar Prasad, whose three sons were murdered allegedly at the behest of Shahabuddin.