A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the city police on Friday filed a charge sheet against former minister Gayatri Prajapati of the Samajwadi Party and six accomplices in a case in which they are accused of gang- raping a Chitrakoot woman and attempting to rape her minor daughter.
The SIT, led by Chowk circle officer (CO) Radhey Shyam Rai, submitted the charge sheet in the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) court in Lucknow.
Rai told HT the involvement of all the seven accused was being established on the basis of statements from over 20 people. He said the SIT also examined the two crime scenes: the ex-minister’s residence at 5, Gautampalli and a flat allotted to him at a legislators’ hostel on Park Road.
The CO said charges were added under Section 354 (A) of the Indian Penal Code for physical contact and advances involving unwelcome and explicit sexual overtures with the complainant’s minor daughter and 509 (A) for using abusive language. Earlier, an FIR was lodged with Gautampalli police station under section 376 (D) of the IPC for gang rape, 376/511 for attempt to rape the minor girl and section ¾ of the POCSO Act.
An SIT member said there was strong evidence in the charge sheet to corroborate the involvement of all seven accused. He added,“The complainant identifying every thing of the former minister’s bungalow and his flat establishes she stayed there for several days. Moreover, her minor daughter also confirmed the sequence of events.The mobile call details also establish they were in constant touch.”
The woman told the police that Prajapati’s aides attempted to rape her minor daughter a day after the former minister’s birthday in 2016. She said several people, including journalists, were present in the party and he had distributed an envelope containing ?5000 each as a return gift. She and her two children also received the envelope.
Source: HindustanTimes