IT dept attaches ₹1.21 cr properties of ex-min Gayatri Prajapati

The Income Tax (IT) department attached four properties of former minister Gayatri Prajapati in the form of plots worth ₹1.21 Crore at different locations in Lucknow under provisions of section of the Prohibition of Benami Property Transaction Act, 1988, confirmed IT officials here on Tuesday.

A senior IT official confirmed that the four properties included 3000 sq ft plot in Khargapur of Gomti Nagar extension, 2000 sq ft plot and 1014 sq ft plot in Purseni village of Mohanlalganj and a plot in Sector K Ashiana. He said these properties are worth 1.21 crore as per present circle rates. He said the market price of these plots will be much higher.

Earlier, Enforcement Directorate (ED) had confiscated properties worth ₹65 crore of jailed former minister Gayatri Prajapati’s family members in Amethi in connection with the case of disproportionate assets (DA) case lodged against him in December 2022. The ED has registered the disproportionate assets cases against the former minister on January 15, 2021.

The ED had registered the DA case against Prajapati on the basis of findings that surfaced during searches conducted at seven locations of the former minister, his family members as well as aides in Lucknow, Kanpur and Amethi on December 30, 2020.

Prajapati was the mining minister during Samajwadi Party government between 2012-2017 and he is jail since March 2017 after a woman had lodged an FIR against him and his associates in 2016 at Gautampalli police station of Lucknow.