Allahabad High Court Grants Bail to Former UP Minister Gayatri Prajapati in Money Laundering Case

The Allahabad High Court has granted bail to former Uttar Pradesh minister Gayatri Prajapati in a money laundering case. Despite this, Prajapati remains in jail due to other ongoing cases. The decision was influenced by the length of his pre-trial detention and the inconclusive status of the investigation.

The Allahabad High Court on Tuesday granted bail to former Uttar Pradesh minister Gayatri Prajapati in a money laundering case registered by the Enforcement Directorate in January 2021.

Justice Subhash Vidyarthi of the Lucknow bench granted relief to Prajapati, but he will still have to remain in jail due to other cases.

The high court noted that Prajapati has been jailed since February 8, 2021, and has already served more than half the sentence for his charge under the PML Act, entitling him to bail.

The bench considered that the ongoing investigation might eventually exonerate Prajapati, making the current trial court exercise futile.

The case against Prajapati was registered by the Enforcement Directorate on January 14, 2021, following allegations of assets disproportionate to known income sources.

According to the ED counsel, six out of eight witnesses have testified, with the trial nearing conclusion.

Prajapati was also sentenced to life imprisonment in a gangrape case in November 2021 and was arrested for the crime in February 2017.

He recently sought bail in the gangrape case, but the high court denied his request on Friday.

(With inputs from agencies.)