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UP ex-minister Gayatri Prajapati granted one-month parole to attend ailing siblings
The government order specifies that Prajapati, a convicted prisoner, will be released for a period of one month on temporary suspension of his sentence. The conditional release is subject to furnishing two sureties and one personal bond, ensuring good conduct and a peaceful stay during the parole period.
The Uttar Pradesh government has approved a one-month parole for former cabinet minister Gayatri Prasad Prajapati, who is serving a sentence in Lucknow district jail, to enable him to assist in the medical treatment of his ailing brother and sister.
The order, issued on November 1 by Anees Akhtar Ansari, under secretary, home department, states that the parole has been sanctioned under Section 432 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), 1973, following approval by the governor of Uttar Pradesh. The government order is available on the state’s official website.
The order specified that Prajapati, a convicted prisoner, will be released for a period of one month on temporary suspension of his sentence. The conditional release is subject to furnishing two sureties and one personal bond, ensuring good conduct and a peaceful stay during the parole period.
The directive further states that the parole period will not be counted as part of his sentence, and that he must return to jail immediately upon its expiry. In case of failure to surrender on the prescribed date, immediate legal action will be initiated against him and his sureties.
The government has also instructed that Prajapati must regularly mark his attendance at the local police station during the parole period. Additionally, the jail authorities have been asked to inform the state government and the director general (prisons) of his release and re-entry dates through official email the same day or by the next day at the latest. The order will remain valid for six months from the date of issuance.
Notably, Gayatri Prasad Prajapati, a former Samajwadi Party minister, was convicted in 2021 in a high-profile rape case following allegations by a woman who accused him of assault and exploitation. He had also faced charges related to illegal mining during his tenure as mining minister in the Akhilesh Yadav government.
Once considered a close aide of former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, Prajapati’s political career ended abruptly after his arrest in 2017. Since his conviction, he has been lodged in Lucknow district jail, and this marks one of the rare occasions when parole has been granted to him since his incarceration. Officials said the parole has been approved purely on humanitarian grounds to allow Prajapati to assist in the treatment of his ailing siblings.
Section 432 of the CrPC grants the appropriate government the power to suspend or remit a sentence, either with or without conditions. The government can cancel a suspension or remission if the conditions are not met, leading to the person being arrested and returned to serve the rest of the sentence. This power is also applicable to orders that restrict a person’s liberty or impose liabilities.
