Rape-accused Gayatri Prajapati seeks to stay SC order of lodging an FIR

Samajwadi Party leader and UP minister Gayatri Prajapati on Monday moved the Supreme Court for recall of its order for lodging an FIR against him in cases of alleged gangrape and attempt to rape a woman and her daughter.

Prajapati, whose involvement in these cases has been used by political opponents in electioneering in the poll-bound state, has cried foul alleging that it was a "politically motivated" case as the complainant was affiliated to the BJP.

Seeking a stay on his impending arrest, he claimed that the state Government had not put the actual facts in the right perspective before the apex court and false allegations were levelled against him.

On February 17, the apex court had directed the UP Police to lodge an FIR against Prajapati and asked it to inquire and file a report of the action taken regarding the incidents in eight weeks in a sealed cover.

The apex court's direction had come on a PIL filed by a woman who had alleged repeated gang rape by Prajapati and others and sought the court's direction for lodging of an FIR.

The petitioner's counsel had argued that the UP Police had not taken any action on the complaint which was given to the Director General of the state police.

Counsel appearing for the state had said that since it was currently election time in the state, the petition has been filed and the government has said in the affidavit that the alleged incident cannot be ascertained and there was a delay in filing of the complaint.

Narrating the incident, the petitioner's counsel had said the alleged incident had first taken place in October 2014 and continued till July 2016 and when the accused tried to molest the minor daughter of the petitioner, she decided to lodge a complaint.

Prajapati was sacked by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav from his cabinet last year but was later reinstated in the council of ministers.