Mulayam meets rape-accused aide Gayatri Prajapati in jail

Samajwadi Party patron Mulayam Singh Yadav on Tuesday visited the district jail in Lucknow to meet former minister and close aide Gayatri Prasad Prajapati, lodged there in connection with a rape case, and described him as “innocent”.

Mulayam alleged that Prajapati was being treated like a “terrorist” and said he would take up the matter with the prime minister.

“There is no proof with the police against Prajapati. A conspiracy is being hatched against him,” he said.

“He (Prajapati) is innocent and is being meted treatment like terrorists. The Bharatiya Janata Party government is following political vendetta. I will meet the prime minister and if needed the president to apprise them of the matter,” he told reporters later.

Mulayam had visited the jail on Monday to meet Prajapati, but could not obtain permission from authorities as it was a holiday on account of Eid.

During his visit on Tuesday, he remained with Prajapati for over an hour.

Prajapati was arrested after an FIR was registered with the Gautampalli police station here on February 18, 2017 on the Supreme Court directive.

The complainant had alleged that she was repeatedly raped by the accused. She had alleged that Prajapati had also tried to molest her daughter.

A Protection of Children from Sexual Offences court will frame charges on July 3 against Prajapati and six others in the case.

Mulayam also spoke in favour of some girl inmates, who had shown black flags to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath recently.

“In a democracy one has the right to show black flags. The girls are also getting terrorist-like treatment,” he alleged.