SC stays interim bail for former minister in rape case

The Supreme Court on Monday stayed interim bail granted to former Uttar Pradesh minister Gayatri Prasad Prajapati on a plea by the state government in connection with the 2017 gang rape case of a woman and molestation of her minor daughter.

A bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, R Subhash Reddy and M R Shah suspended the operation of the Allahabad High Court's September 3 order granting two-month relief to the then Cabinet minister in Samajwadi Party government. The court issued notice to Prajapati on a special leave petition by the UP government.

Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, appearing for the state government, questioned the validity of the HC's order, saying that the political leader has been given treatment during his judicial custody.

He said the HC erroneously granted him relief even as his regular bail plea was coming up for consideration on September 28.

In July, this year, the woman complainant, hailing from Chitrakoot, reportedly gave a written statement before a special court set up to try MP and MLAs withdrawing her charges against the leader.

The apex court had in February, 2017 directed the Uttar Pradesh Police to lodge an FIR against Prajapati and others in connection with the case of alleged gangrape. The order had come on a plea of the woman who had alleged repeated gangrape by Prajapati and others and sought the court's direction for lodging of an FIR.

She had claimed that the alleged incident had first taken place in October 2014 and continued till July 2016 and when the accused tried to molest her minor daughter, she decided to lodge a complaint.