SC dismisses Gayatri Prajapati's bail plea in rape case

The Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed the bail plea of former Uttar Pradesh Minister Gayatri Prajapati in a rape case. The Supreme Court sought the response of Uttar Pradesh Police on a plea by Gayatri Prasad Prajapati seeking bail in February.

Prajapati was sacked as a minister by then Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav from his cabinet in 2016 during a family feud with his father Mulayam Singh Yadav and uncle Shivpal Yadav.

An FIR was registered against 49-year-old Prajapati and six others in February 17 on a Supreme Court directive. After being on the run for nearly a month, Prajapati (49) was arrested from the Aashiyana area in Lucknow in March 2017 and was sent to jail for allegedly raping a woman and attempting to rape her minor daughter in 2014.

Prajapati had challenged two orders of the Allahabad High Court dismissing his plea against framing of charge and of regular bail in the case.

A Chitrakoot-based woman had accused the former minister and his accomplices of rape. She had also alleged that he had also attempted to rape her minor daughter.

(With PTI inputs)