Ghaziabad rape accused faces new FIR after bail celebration blocks road for 30 minutes

GHAZIABAD: A rape accused, who walked out to boisterous celebrations and went home from Dasna jail in a convoy earlier this week, now faces a fresh FIR. Police took suo motu cognisance of videos circulating on social media, showing a group of men showering him with flowers and carrying him on their shoulders from the prison gates to the main road.Sushil Prajapati (35), who is facing trial for drugging and sexually assaulting a 25-year-old LLB student, had not been acquitted but secured bail after eight months in prison.A complaint submitted by sub-inspector Pradeep Kumar on Tuesday said Prajapati and his associates blocked the road outside the jail for nearly 30 minutes, causing inconvenience to passersby, before driving recklessly in a convoy towards Muradnagar via Delhi-Meerut Expressway, covering nearly 12km, and endangering the public. The accused also burst crackers and beat drums outside Prajapati's home.DCP (rural) Surendra Nath Tiwari said an FIR was registered under BNS sections 281 (rash driving) and 285 (obstruction in public way), and that teams had been formed to identify and act against those involved.A senior police officer told TOI the celebration appeared to have been organised by a group of the accused's friends, and cops were probing how many cars were in the convoy, what route it took, and how long traffic was affected.Prajapati is facing charges of under BNS sections 64 (rape), 123 (causing hurt by poison with intent to commit offence), 351(3) (criminal intimidation), 72 (disclosure of victim identity), and 249 (harbouring offender).In her complaint, the survivor claimed she had met Prajapati in Nov 2021. Over subsequent years, he stayed in regular contact with the woman. He eventually started persuading her to shift her legal practice from Meerut court to Ghaziabad, promising to connect her with an advocate who would pay her a monthly stipend and bring her cases, the woman claimed.On Aug 6 last year, he allegedly called the woman and claimed that an advocate was ready to meet her. She travelled from Meerut to Muradnagar by bus and took an autorickshaw to Muradnagar rapid rail station, where Prajapati was waiting in a black Thar. She claimed Prajapati took her to a flat in Metro Homes Society and offered her a cold drink, telling her the advocate would arrive shortly.The woman claimed she felt drowsy after she had the drink. Prajapati, she said, then raped her and threatened to have her killed if she spoke out, claiming connections with influential people.The survivor submitted a complaint at Muradnagar police station around 11pm that night.Police registered an FIR after a medical examination confirmed rape. They also announced a reward of Rs 25,000 on his arrest. Prajapati was arrested five days later on Aug 11 and remanded to judicial custody.