ADITYANATH SNUBS PRAJAPATI’S FAMILY

LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today refused to meet the family of jailed rapeaccused former minister Gayatri Prajapati at his residence here, according to family members of the SP leader.

Prajapati's wife, who was accompanied by two daughters, said a minister present at the venue assured them that their grievance would be heard.

“We wanted to meet the chief minister, but he did not meet us,” Prajapati's wife told reporters outside the 5- Kalidas Marg residence here of the CM where he was meeting people during the ‘Janata Darshan' programme to listen to public grievances.

“I am confident that my husband will get justice. We will make another attempt to have a word with the chief minister,” she said.

Prajapati's sobbing daughter claimed her father was being implicated in the case.

“He is innocent. We want justice. We hope the chief minister will listen to us and ensure justice to our family,” she said.

The controvesial SP leader was granted bail by a special court last week in a rape and molestation case. But the Allahabad High Court stayed the bail granted to Prajapati by Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) court judge O P Mishra.

The high court administration suspended the judge for granting the bail and ordered a departmental inquiry.

Considered close to SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, Prajapati failed to walk out of jail as he was sent to judicial remand in two other cases.

Prajapati was a minister in the previous Akhilesh Yadav government. The former Samajwadi Party MLA from Amethi had lost the recent election.

The alleged rape of the woman and molestation of her minor daughter had attracted a lot of media attention in the run up to the assembly election.