After a local court granted bail to him on Tuesday, controversial Samajwadi Party leader Gayatri Prajapati has been released from jail today. According to reports, his two accomplices have been granted bail too and will be released anytime soon. The three were lodged at the Lucknow district jail since after their arrest.
Prajapati and his accomplices were arrested for allegedly gangraping a woman and attempting to molest her minor daughter.
Additional District and Session Judge OP Mishra had granted bail to Gayatri Prajapati, Amrendra Singh alias Pintoo Singh and Vikas Verma. The court also asked to deposit personal bond of Rs 1 lakh each and also two sureties each of same amount.
While Vikas, a contractor, is the son of Additional City Magistrate TP Verma, Pintoo Singh was a representative of Prajapati in Amethi.
On the Supreme Court’s directions, an FIR was lodged against Prajapati and six others for allegedly raping a woman at his official residence in Lucknow. The woman also alleged that Prajapati blackmailed her with photographs of the gangrape for months. Her minor daughter was also allegedly sexually assaulted in July 2016.
The apex court’s direction had come on a PIL filed by a woman who had alleged repeated gangrape by Gayatri Prajapati and others and sought the court’s direction for lodging of an FIR.
Uttar Pradesh Police had arrested Prajapati in Lucknow on March 15. Prajapati, who was a minister in Akhilesh Yadav government, was absconding since February 27.
