Ex-UP Minister Who Faces Gang-Rape Charge Gets Bail For Daughter's Wedding

The Allahabad High Court on Tuesday granted one-week bail to former minister Gayatri Prajapati from February 28 for his daughter's wedding on March 6.

Prajapati, who was mining minister in the previous Akhilesh Yadav government, was arrested and sent to jail in March 2017 on charges of gang-raping a woman and attempting to rape her minor daughter as well. He continues to be in jail since his arrest.

Justice Rajesh Singh Chauhan of the Lucknow bench of the court passed the order on bail pleas moved by Prajapati in three different cases -- two lodged with Gomtinagar and Ghazipur police stations, and the third by the Enforcement Directorate.

Prajapati submitted that his daughter's marriage is fixed for March 6 and he needed 56-day bail to perform wedding rituals as her father.

Opposing the pleas, state counsel argued that Prajapati had a criminal history with nine cases registered against him, and he is a very influential person, and hence he should not be granted bail.

After hearing the arguments of both sides, the bench granted Gayatri a week bail to the former minister.

He was granted bail once earlier also, but it was cancelled by the high court before he could come out of jail.

The high court had noted that there was foul play in the grant of the bail to him.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)