Controversial UP minister Gayatri Prajapati goes missing as police close in

LUCKNOW: UP cabinet minister Gayatri Prajapati went underground as police closed in on him on Tuesday in a rape case lodged against him on Supreme Court directions.

The state police got cracking after the apex court prodded the government into taking action against Prajapati. The controversial minister was earlier sacked with others by CM Akhilesh Yadav from his ministry but Prajapati was reinstated. Known to be a Mulayam Singh Yadav loyalist, Prajapati is the Amethi SP candidate, although the CM refused to allow him on stage when he went there to campaign.

Days ahead of the remaining two phases of polling, the CM may be at pains to explain why Prajapati was reinstated. His rivals may question his clean-up effort. PM Narendra Modi has stung the SP government on law and order saying: "There's a party in UP that sings the Gayatri Prajapati mantra every morning".

Tuesday's developments looked grave in view of a statement given by the rape survivor to investigators. In her testimony, she alleged that Prajapati and his aides gang-raped her, also molested and tried to rape her 17-year-old daughter. This attracts charges under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and the IPC. Police said the minor is undergoing treatment at New Delhi's AIIMS and once she records her statement, Gayatri's arrest could be imminent.

A police team dispatched to Prajapti's house in his hometown Amethi returned empty-handed. The minister wasn't available at his bungalow here either, when investigators searched the premises -identified as the scene of crime by the complainant for evidence.

"The team we sent to Amethi Tuesday morning was told Prajapati had left for Lucknow. But he wasn't available when we went to his bungalow," Lucknow SSP Manzil Saini told TOI. She confirmed that the minister is "absconding". "If he continues to dodge us, we'll look at other options," Saini said, not ruling out the possibility of approaching the court for a warrant.

On Tuesday evening police reached Prajapati's Lucknow home and recorded statements of the guards and domestic help and verified details of the premises as de scribed by the complainant.

Police aren't taking chances on collecting evidence, for the probe is being tracked by the SC, which has sought a report by April 7. SC, on February 17, directed UP police to regis ter a case against Prajapati on the complaint of a Chitrakoot resident who alleged that the minister had raped her. Next day , a case of rape was booked against Prajapati and seven of his associates.