Lucknow: From a BPL cardholder to a powerful minister in the Akhilesh Yadav cabinet to a rape accused— life has been a topsy-turvy ride for Gayatri Prajapati over the last five years.
Almost a year after this, Prajapati was inducted into Akhilesh Yadav’s cabinet, apparently at the directions of Shivpal, as Minister of State for Irrigation. Few months later, Prajapati was made MoS (independent charge) and was given the mining department. The year after that, he was promoted and was made a Cabinet-rank minister in charge of the mining department.
The ride started to get bumpy for him when, in 2015, Lucknow-based social activist and wife of IPS Amitabh Thakur, Nutan Thakur, approached the Lokayukta with proof gathered via RTI against Prajapati for accruing illegal wealth. There were other complaints against the minister too, but most of them withdrew complaints saying they did not have enough proof against him.
Nutan's husband Amitabh Thakur also had a run-in with the SP leadership. He had accused Mulayam Singh Yadav of threatening him with “dire consequences” for his activism.
Nutan exposed a mining syndicate in front of the Lokayukta, which, she alleged, was being run by Prajapati. She also gave documentary details of companies allegedly floated by Prajapati after he became minister.
Riding high on luck, Prajapati got a clean chit from the Lokayukta in the disproportionate assets case, but the Allahabad High Court ordered a CBI inquiry into the illegal mining case. Even UP CM Akhilesh Yadav dropped Prajapati from his Cabinet after the court’s order amid rising friction in his family and the party. The CBI inquiry is still on against alleged irregularities in the mining department under Prajapati.
Nutan Thakur informed the Lokayukta office of the properties held by Prajapati's wife Maharaji, daughters Sudha and Ankitaand sons Anurag and Anil. The assets were allegedly bought in their names after October 2013.
Prajapati's son Anil is the director of Life Cure Medical Centre — a multi-specialty hospital at Pratapgarh in Amethi. He also heads Shuhag Exports Limited and Decent Constructions, both based in Amethi.
Nutan Thakur also revealed details of properties that Prajapati allegedly bought in the names of his staff, including drivers and domestic help. The allegations were substantiated by the Income Tax department's reply to the Lokayukta confirming that Prajapati's driver acquired assets worth Rs 77 lakh in two years without filing an I-T return. The list of companies includes MGA Hospitality, Kahana Build Well, MGA Colonisers, MSA Infra Venture, Daya Builders Private Limited, MSGA Enterprises, MGM Agro Tech, Excel Built Tech and MSG Realtors.
As the state Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh progressed, the apex court ordered the police to file an FIR against Prajapati and six others on the complaint of a woman. The woman alleged that she was repeatedly gang-raped and her minor daughter was molested.
After no relief from the Supreme Court, Prajapati and six others were booked under the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) on February 18. On March 11, Prajapati lose the Assembly election from Amethi constituency. He was finally arrested from Lucknow on Wednesday.
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