Was spending time in Bengal, southern states: Arrested SP leader Gayatri Prajapati tells UP Police

By: Rakesh Jha |
March 15, 2017 10:49 am

After absconding for nearly 17 days from Police, tainted SP leader Gayatri Prajapati was on Wednesday arrested from Lucknow in connection with a gang-rape case. During preliminary questioning, Prajapati told the police that he had been on the run since February 27 and spent his time in West Bengal and some southern states.

According to senior superintendent of police Manzil Saini, Prajapati is likely to be produced before the POCSO Court later in the day.

Meanwhile, Additional Directorage Genral Daljeet Chaudhary said that all 7 accused have been arrested and now the matter will be forwarded to the Court for final decision.

Rape-accused UP minister Gayatri Prajapati was today arrested from the city after remaining absconding for nearly a month. Senior Superintendent of Police, Lucknow, Manzil Saini told PTI that Prajapati was arrested from Aashiyana area of the city early this morning.

He is likely to be produced before the POCSO Court later in the day, Saini said. Six persons named in the FIR against the 49-year-old SP leader have already been been picked up by the police.

Police had yesterday interrogated the SP leader’s two sons and nephew to get some inputs regarding his whereabouts. 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.

The apex court had asked the UP Police to submit an action taken report regarding the incidents in eight weeks. A Look Out notice was also issued against him as also a Non-Bailable Warrant. His passport too has been impounded.

Airports across the country had been alerted about the possibility of Prajapati trying to flee the country. In the just-concluded Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Prajapati had lost to BJP from Amethi, the seat he held.Reacting to the arrest of the SP leader, BJP leader Vijay Bahadur Pathak said the “State police was till now politicised. As soon as it has been freed from political pressures it has started performing resulting in the arrest”.

PTI inputs