Lucknow: In a shocking incident inside Lucknow District Jail, former Uttar Pradesh minister and Samajwadi Party leader Gayatri Prasad Prajapati was brutally attacked by a fellow inmate, sustaining severe head injuries that required over 10 stitches.
The assault, which unfolded in the jail’s hospital ward, has sparked outrage and raised serious questions about inmate safety behind bars.
According to sources, the altercation erupted during a heated exchange between Prajapati and a prisoner assigned to cleaning duties. In a fit of rage, the assailant allegedly struck Prajapati with a sliding metal part from a cupboard, causing deep gashes on his head. Jail staff rushed him to medical care, where he underwent immediate treatment. Officials confirmed his condition is now stable and out of danger, with Prajapati described as “fully healthy” post-recovery.
The Samajwadi Party swiftly condemned the attack, with national spokesperson Fakhrul Hasan Chand expressing deep concern on X. “The news of the assault on former minister Gayatri Prajapati in jail is alarming. The Lucknow jail administration must ensure proper medical care!” he posted, highlighting lapses in security protocols.
Jail authorities have launched a probe, tightening measures across the facility and interrogating the accused, who remains in custody. Police are investigating potential accomplices and motives, vowing a thorough inquiry.
Prajapati, serving a life sentence since November 2021 for a 2017 gangrape conviction, has been incarcerated in Lucknow Jail since his arrest that year. Courts have rejected multiple bail pleas. His wife, Maharaji Devi, continues his political legacy as the MLA from Amethi, having defeated BJP’s Sanjay Singh in the 2022 elections — a seat her husband once held in 2012.
As investigations continue, this brazen jailhouse brawl underscores the volatile undercurrents within India’s correctional system, leaving political circles on edge.