Uttar Pradesh: Rape accused ex-minister Gayatri Prajapati granted bail

Rape-accused Uttar Pradesh former minister Gayatri Prajapati was on Tuesday granted bail by a POCSO court in Lucknow.

Prajapati was arrested on March 15 from Aashiyana area in Lucknow by the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF). 

The SP leader was booked on a Supreme Court directive and an FIR was lodged on February 17 against the minister and six others for allegedly gang-raping a woman and attempting to rape her minor daughter in 2014.

"I am innocent. This is a conspiracy to malign me," Prajapati had said after his arrest.

Meanwhile, the apex court has directed the Uttar Pradesh police to protect the woman's family members.