HC STAYS GAYATRI PRAJAPATI’S BAIL IN GANGRAPE CASE

LUCKNOW: The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court on Friday stayed the bail of former UP minister, Gayatri Prajapati, in a gangrape case. The Samajwadi Party leader along with two other accused Vikas Varma and Amrendra Singh was granted bail by a Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) court, Lucknow, in the case on Tuesday (April 25).

The state government then moved the high court, seeking cancellation of the bail. Passing the judgment, chief justice Dilip Babasaheb Bhosale also directed police to take the two other accused into custody.

Prajapati was not released from prison as cops had sought his judicial remand in two other cases, which was allowed by the court. However, his two associates were released on bail. The state government had requested the court to hear the petition on Friday itself in view of serious nature of the matter.

Appearing on behalf of the state government, additional advocate general, Vinod Shahi, argued that the bail was granted to Prajapati and two others without taking into account facts of the case.

“The bail order was stayed on two accounts. First, the court did not grant enough time to the prosecution to cross examine the bail application of Gayatri Prajapati. The investigating officer of the case and the additional district government counsel were given only one day to cross examine the bail application,” said Shahi. However, both of them had sought three days for the same, he added.

The second reason put forward for seeking stay was concealing of facts by the former minister in his bail application. “In the bail application, the former minister had pointed out that no criminal case is pending against him. However, six criminal cases are pending against him,” said Shahi.

Besides Shahi, additional government advocate Anurag Verma also represented the state government.