FIR filed in Ghaziabad over procession hailing rape accused

Ghaziabad police have booked a rape accused and his supporters for traffic obstruction after they carried out a procession outside the jail following his release on bail.

Ghaziabad police have booked a rape accused and around a dozen of his supporters on charges of traffic obstruction for carrying out a procession outside the jail after the Hindu right leader's release on bail.

Sushil Prajapati was released on bail on May 17 after spending around eight months in jail in connection with a rape case filed at Muradnagar Police Station in August 2025.

He was welcomed by his supporters with flower petals and a procession after his release from Dasna jail in Ghaziabad.

According to the police, his supporters carried Prajapati on their shoulders to hail his release, while a convoy of vehicles, part of the celebratory procession, caused traffic disruption.

The latest FIR, filed at Masuri Police Station, comes in the wake of videos purportedly showing the celebration landing on social media to much criticism by the general public.

The supporters drove vehicles recklessly and blocked roads, affecting public safety and movement, the police said.

Masuri Station House Officer Ajay Kumar said efforts are underway to identify the people part of the rally through CCTV footage and videos.

According to the police, on August 8, 2025, an LLB student accused Prajapati of raping her at a flat in Muradnagar after making her consume a cold drink suspected to have been laced with intoxicants.

The FIR states that Prajapati befriended the woman in 2021 and allegedly persuaded her to shift her legal practice from Meerut to Ghaziabad by promising professional assistance and introductions to senior advocates.

On the day of the alleged incident, he called her to Muradnagar on the pretext of arranging a meeting with a senior lawyer, it says.

According to the police, that day Prajapati took the woman to a flat instead, where the alleged assault took place.

After the FIR, the police announced a reward of Rs 25,000 for information on Prajapati's whereabouts.

On August 20, 2025, he was detained.