Uttar Pradesh Police on Wednesday arrested rape accused Samajwadi Party leader Gayatri Prajapati in Lucknow. Prajapati, who was a minister in Akhilesh Yadav government, was absconding since February 27. Prajapati was booked on a Supreme Court directive and an FIR was lodged on February 17 against the minister and six others for allegedly gang-raping a woman and alleged attempt to rape her minor daughter.
“All 7 accused have been arrested and the matter will be forwarded to the Court for final decision,” ADG,Law&Order Daljeet Chaudhary told reporters in Lucknow.
Following the supreme court order, Police had issued a non-bailable warrant against Prajapati, and his passport was impounded to prevent him from fleeing the country.
Uttar Pradesh: Rape accused Gayatri Prajapati arrested from Lucknow pic.twitter.com/3hwqgICVIM
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 15, 2017
The police on March 14 detained two sons of Uttar Pradesh Transport Minister (Prajapati) for giving their father shelter while the police were looking for him on rape charges.
Earlier Prajapati’s two aides were arrested from Noida near Jewar on the Yamuna Expressway on March 7.
The minister’s security guard Chandrapal was arrested on March 6 near Lucknow Police lines. The victim had approached the apex court after the UP police allegedly refused to register a FIR against the SP leader. According to the 35-year-old victim, Prajapati raped her three years ago and took her obscene photos on the pretext of giving her a position in Samajwadi Party. He also threatened to release the photos in public if she filed a complaint against him.
