The Lucknow MPMLA court has convicted former Uttar Pradesh Minister Gayatri Prajapati, and his associates Ashok Tiwari and Ashish Shukla for gangrape and provisions of the POCSO Act.
Co-accused Vikas Verma, Rupeshwar, Amarendra Singh Pintu and Chanderpal have been acquitted due to lack of evidence. The court will pronounce the sentence against the culprits in the case on Friday, November 12.
In 2017, a woman from Chitrakoot district had accused the then SP government’s cabinet minister Gayatri Prajapati and several of his associates of gangrape and trying to do similar acts with her daughter. When the woman protested against this, Gayatri Prajapati and her associates threatened to kill her and her family. After this, the victim filed a petition in the Supreme Court to register the case.
On February 18, 2017, on the Supreme Court‘s directions, a case was registered against Gayatri Prajapati and six other accused at the Gautampalli police station in Lucknow. After this, all the accused were arrested and sent to jail. A case was registered against all of them under sections of gangrape, threat to life and POCSO Act.
Apart from former cabinet ministers, Vikas Verma, Amarendra Singh, Chanderpal, Rupeshwar, Ashish Shukla and Ashok Tiwari were made accused in this case. A total 17 prosecution witnesses have been presented in this case. Gayatri Prasad Prajapati has been in jail since March 15, 2017 in the case.