Judge who granted bail to Prajapati suspended

The Allahabad High Court on Friday suspended the judge who had a few days ago granted bail to rape-accused SP leader Gayatri Prasad Prajapati.

Special judge of the Pocso court Om Prakash Mishra was suspended a day before his retirement. Chief Justice D B Bhosale said Mishra had shown “haste” in granting bail to the former Uttar Pradesh minister.

Sources said Prajapati had filed the bail application on April 24 and the judge listed the matter for hearing the next day. The government counsel sought time for preparing a response, but it was rejected.

The high court had on Friday stayed the lower court’s order granting bail to Prajapati. He, however, was not released as he was booked in two other cases.  The government had then moved the high court opposing the bail order. Prajapati was booked on a SC directive, and an FIR was lodged on February 17 against him and six others for “gang-raping” a woman and attempting to molest her minor daughter.