Absconding for almost a month, controversial Samajwadi Party leader and former Minister Gayatri Prasad Prajapati was on Wednesday nabbed by the Uttar Pradesh police.
Mr. Prajapati and six others are accused of gang-raping a woman and attempting to rape her minor daughter. He has been sent to 14 days’ judicial custody after being produced before a POCSO court.
Mr. Prajapati was “arrested around 7 a.m. from a location in central Lucknow,” a spokesperson for U.P. DGP Javeed Ahmed said. Last month, the police filed a non-bailable warrant against the former Minister and six others, including his security guard Chandrapal, in the case on the orders of the Supreme Court. A Look Out notice was also issued against him, while the authorities impounded his passport to prevent him from fleeing the country.
The six other accused are already in police custody.
SSP Lucknow Manzil Saini said the police intercepted Mr. Prajapati after a tip-off that he was planning to surrender.
The arrest brings an end to a high-pitched drama, which became part of the U.P. election campaign. To the embarrassment of the SP, allegations against Mr. Prajapati surfaced in the middle of the campaigning, with the BJP using it to target Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.
