Mulayam meets jailed Gayatri Prajapati, asserts 'false campaign' being done

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], June 27 (ANI): Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on Tuesday met rape accused and former minister Gayatri Prajapati at the Lucknow District Jail. After meeting Prajapati, Mulayam told the reporters here, "False campaign is being initiated against Gayatri Prajapati; he is being targeted as if he is a terrorist. Mulayam further added that he will meet the Director General Of Police (DGP) and complain in this regard. The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister also questioned as to how can there be a case of rape when the woman did not even visit Prajapati's house. On June 2, the Lucknow Police Special Investigation Team ( SIT) filed a chargesheet in the court against former Prajapati in this matter. The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court had earlier cancelled the bail given by Lucknow's session court to Prajapati and others. The High Court bench said in its order that the session court took the decision in a "hurry". Earlier on May 12, the Lucknow bench upheld its earlier decision not to grant bail to Prajapati. 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 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. (ANI)