With the Supreme Court breathing down its neck, Uttar Pradesh Police on Saturday filed an FIR against tainted senior minister Gayatri Prajapati in connection with cases of alleged gangrape and attempt to rape a woman and her minor daughter.

The apex court had yesterday directed the police to book the minister, who is a senior leader of the ruling Samajwadi Party.

Circle Officer of Hazratganj, Avanish Kumar Mishra, said the FIR was lodged against the cabinet minister and six of his accomplices under various sections of the IPC and POCSO Act. He said the FIR was lodged in Gautampalli Police Station here.

The apex court’s direction came on a PIL filed by a woman who alleged repeated gangrape by Prajapati and others and sought the court’s direction for lodging of an FIR. The alleged incident had first taken place in October 2014 and continued till July 2016 and when the accused tried to molest the minor daughter of the petitioner, she decided to lodge a complaint after her written request to the DGP in October 2016 went unheeded. Since no FIR was lodged, she moved the apex court seeking justice.

Meanwhile, reacting to the charges, Prajapti told news agency ANI: There’s a political conspiracy behind this, BJP is behind it. They want to tarnish my reputation because I come from a small family. I don’t know the victim,” he said.

Prajapati was sacked by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav from his cabinet in 2016 during the family feud with his father Mulayam Singh Yadav and uncle Shivpal Yadav but was ater reinstated in the council of ministers.

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