Complainant’s statement recorded

The statement of a Chitrakoot woman, who accused controversial Samajwadi Party (SP) cabinet minister Gayatri Prajapati and his six aides of gangraping her and attempting to rape her minor daughter, was recorded before the judicial magistrate here on Saturday.

However, she refused to undergo medical examination in a Lucknow hospital and preferred being examined in Delhi The woman has been provided police security. The statement of her daughter who is in a Delhi hospital, will be video recorded.

An FIR in the matter was lodged with Gautampalli police station on February 18 in compliance with the Supreme Court’s order of February 17 to conduct an inquiry and submit an action taken report to the court within eight weeks.

Those named in the FIR are: Gayatri Prajapati, Ashok Tiwari, Pintu Singh, Vikas Verma, Chandrapal, Rupesh and Ashish Shukla. Prajapati is also an SP candidate from Amethi constituency, where polling took place on February 23.

Circle officer (CO) of Alambagh, Amita Singh, who is investigation officer of the case, said she had got the statement recorded before the judicial magistrate under Section 164 of Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) before moving ahead in the investigation.

She said she would apply before the magistrate on Monday to read the woman’s statement as it was kept in a sealed envelope and not being revealed.

Since she was the investigation officer, she could apply to read it for further course of action. Singh said she also wanted to get the medical examination of complainant done, but she denied being examined in Lucknow.

The complainant stated that her daughter was admitted in a Delhi hospital due to some illness and the entire process would take time and thus, she preferred being medically examined in Delhi.

Singh said that further course of action in the case would be decided after reading the complainant’s judicial statement and her medical examination.

The FIR was registered under IPC sections 376-D (gangrape), 376/511 (rape attempt), 504 (insulting), 506 (criminal intimidation) and section ¾ (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act).

The victim mentioned that she was raped multiple times at the minister’s official residences (5, Gautampalli) and his flat in a legislatures’ building on Park road in Lucknow.

She alleged that she first met the minister in 2013 through Ashok Tiwari, one of the six accused, when she was assured of providing sand mining contract.

She said the minister and his aides raped her after giving her a sedative laced drink and also clicked her objectionable photographs. She was gangraped with threats to upload the photographs on social media.

She first complained to the police when the minister cast an evil eye on her minor daughter and tried to rape her, she said.

THE VICTIM MENTIONED THAT SHE WAS RAPED MULTIPLE TIMES AT THE MINISTER’S OFFICIAL RESIDENCES (5, GAUTAMPALLI) AND HIS FLAT ON PARK ROAD IN LUCKNOW. SHE ALLEGED THAT SHE FIRST MET THE MINISTER IN 2013 THROUGH ASHOK TIWARI, ONE OF THE SIX ACCUSED