Stay on Gayatri Prajapati's bail, next hearing on May 26

The Lucknow bench on Friday upheld its earlier decision to not grant bail to alleged rape accused Uttar Pradesh minister Gayatri Prajapati.

The next hearing will be on May 26.

Justice Amendran Pratap Shahi refused to give interim relief.

Pintu Singh and Vikas Verma, both absconding, were also not relieved in the matter.

Earlier in the day, the arrest warrants were issued against Prajapati's aides Pintu Singh and Vikas Verma, in connection with the rape case.

Giving no relief to co-accused in the Prajapati rape case, the Supreme Court earlier on May 4 asked Vikas Verma to surrender before the court within two days.

Prajapati and the two accused were granted bail by the trial court earlier.

However, the Allahabad High Court dismissed their bail order, which was then challenged by the accused in the apex court.

Prajapati was arrested earlier on March 15 from the Aashiyana area in Lucknow by the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF).

The Samajwadi Party leader, who was also accused of allegedly raping the girl's mother, evaded his arrest for nearly a month before he was arrested.

Earlier in February, a police complaint was filed against the former minister and six others in the case following the apex court's order.

The Uttar Pradesh Police had also filed a non- bailable warrant against the former minister and six others for the same.