STATE OF U.P. v. GAYATRI PRASAD PRAJAPATI INSC 581

NAME OF CASE State of U.P. v. Gayatri Prasad Prajapati INSC 581

FACTS Gayatri Prasad Prajapati, an ex-minister in Uttar Pradesh, faced allegations in a gang rape incident. The allegations comprised violations of Sections 376D (gang rape) and 511(attempt to commit offenses) from the Indian Penal Code, along with sections 5 and 6 of the protection of children from sextual offenses (POCSO) act. He was detained and later requested bail several times. The Allahabad High Court had earlier rejected his bail requests. On September 3, 2020, the Allahabad High Court provided Prajapati with interim bail for a duration of two months due to medical reasons, instructing that his standard bail request be scheduled for hearing in the week starting September 28, 2020. The Uttar Pradesh government contested the interim bail issued by the High Court, claiming that the bail decision was unjustified and diminished the seriousness of the accusations. The State argued that the medical services provided for the accused were adequate for his health issues.

ISSUE Whether the interim bail given to Gayatri Prasad Prajapati on health reasons was warranted, in light of the nature of the accusations against him?

HOLDING The Supreme Court annulled the interim bail provided by the Allahabad High Court, highlighting that sufficient medical services were accessible within the jail and via referrals to specialized hospitals when required.

RATIONALE Adequate Medical Facilities- The Supreme Court observed that the medical reports showed that Prajapati was obtaining suitable care for his conditions. The Court noted that the prison officials had been attentive in providing essential medical treatment, which included sending inmates to specialized facilities such as King George Medical University(KGMU) and Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences(SCPIMS) in Lucknow. No Immediate Threat to Life- The Court discovered no proof indicating that Prajapati's health status posed a life-threatening risk or that it could not be treated with the current medical resources accessible to him as a prisoner. Nature of Allegations- Given the gravity of the allegations against Prajapati, the court determined that issuing interim bail purely on medical reasons was unjustified, particularly when sufficient medical treatment was already being given.