Gayatri Prajapati Held in Rape Case, Says 'Framed, Ready For Narco Test'

Lucknow: After 17 days of evading arrest, rape-accused Samajwadi Party leader Gayatri Prajapati has been arrested from Lucknow, the Uttar Pradesh police confirmed on Wednesday morning.

"It's confirmed. Prajapati has been arrested," ADG Daljeet Chowdhary told CNN-News18.

Prajapati, 49, 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 attempting to rape her minor daughter.

His arrest comes four days after he lost the Assembly election from Amethi constituency in Uttar Pradesh. Soon after the arrest, he was taken for medical examination and later sent to 14-days judicial custody by a Lucknow court.

A Look Out notice and a non-bailable warrant were issued against Prajapati, while his passport was also impounded. Airports across the country were alerted about the possibility of Prajapati trying to flee the country.

In 2016, Prajapati had been sacked by then chief minister Akhilesh Yadav during the Samajwadi Party family feud, but was later reinstated in the council of ministers.

Former Uttar Pradesh DGP Vikram Singh questioned the delay in the arrest. “Why has he been arrested after such a delay? UP police have a lot of explaining to do. This arrest happened only because of political intervention," he told CNN-News18.

The case had become a cause for major embarrassment for the Samajwadi Party which was fighting the BJP and the BSP to remain in power. The BJP had accused chief minister Akhilesh Yadav of shielding his minister, while Governor Ram Naik had questioned why Prajapati was still part of the state cabinet.

Reacting to Prajapati’s arrest on Wednesday, BJP state chief Keshav Prasad Maurya, one of the CM probables in the state, said: “I want to assure the people of UP that we will take stern action against crimes and criminals."

(With agency inputs)