Noida/Lucknow: Two aides of the absconding Uttar Pradesh Cabinet minister Gayatri Prajapati have been arrested from Noida by the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force in connection with the rape case against the Samajwadi Party leader.
The two accused in the case were picked up from Noida and brought to Lucknow for interrogation, ADG (Law and Order) Daljit Chaudhary said in Lucknow on Tuesday.
The two were arrested late Monday night from Jewar on the Yamuna Expressway. On Monday, the minister's security guard Chandrapal was arrested in connection with the case.
An FIR was lodged on February 17 against the minister for raping a woman and molesting her daughter.
Chaudhary said Prajapati too would be arrested soon as a Look Out notice had been issued against him as also a non-bailable warrant. His passport has been impounded and if needed his property will be attached, he said.
In Noida, Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force Superintendent of Police RN Mishra said the two accused had come to Delhi in connection with some case and were going to Lucknow when they were arrested.
Prajapati had, on Monday, failed to get relief from the Supreme Court, which expressed unhappiness that its order on lodging of FIR against the SP leader was being given a "political colour".
His continuance as a minister has raised serious questions of "constitutional morality and dignity," with Governor Ram Naik writing a letter to Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, seeking to know if he "justifies" having the tainted minister in his Cabinet. Prajapati, whose opponents have used the issue in electioneering in poll-bound state to attack him and his party, has cried foul alleging that it is a "politically motivated" case as the complainant is affiliated to the BJP.
