New Delhi: The Delhi Police Monday arrested a senior government officer for allegedly raping a minor and impregnating her.
Deputy director of the Women and Child Department (WCD) Premoday Khakha, 51, and his wife Seema Rani, 50, are being interrogated by the police, Deputy Commissioner of Police, North District, Sagar Singh Kalsi told new agency ANI. Seema has also been arrested.
The officer and his wife were taken into police custody on Monday afternoon.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal suspended the senior officer on Monday morning, and also sought a report on the matter from the chief secretary by 5 pm.
It is alleged the deputy director raped and impregnated the minor girl two years ago, and the couple also tried to abort the baby.
The girl was staying with the accused – who was at that time her guardian – and his family after her father passed away on 1 October, 2020.
The police said the accused allegedly raped the girl several times between November 2020 and January 2021, and the wife gave her medicines to terminate the pregnancy.
The girl returned to her house with her mother in January 2021, but had a panic attack in August this year. Her mother admitted her to St Stephen’s Hospital, where the girl narrated the whole incident during counselling, the police said.
Later, the hospital informed the Burari police station and a case was registered against the accused under sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
#WATCH | DCP North District Sagar Singh Kalsi says " A case was registered in Burari PS of North District. The 17-year-old girl lost her father in Oct 2020. Later, the girl was sent to the residence of her deceased father's family friend who is the accused (Delhi govt official)… pic.twitter.com/pHlKBLKIsl
— ANI (@ANI) August 21, 2023
The case has been registered under Indian Penal Code Sections 376(2)(f)(being a relative, guardian or teacher of, or a person in a position of trust or authority towards the woman, commits rape on such woman), 509 (word, gesture or act intended to outrage the modesty of a woman), 506 (criminal intimidation), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 313 (causing miscarriage without women’s consent), 120B ( (criminal conspiracy) and provisions of the POCSO Act.
The girl’s statement is yet to be recorded before the magistrate, a police officer said. “She averred to having undergone termination of pregnancy by the perpetrator and his wife. A medicolegal examination has been done. The investigation is in progress,” the police said, adding the survivor was still recovering.
Meanwhile, Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal sat on a dharna Monday afternoon at the hospital where the minor was admitted. She accused the Delhi Police of trying to hide facts, and refused to leave without meeting the girl and her mother.
In the morning, Maliwal had questioned the police for only “booking” the senior official and not outrightly arresting him. “He has been a deputy director in the WCD for decades. He repeatedly raped a 16-year-old. Then he and his wife tried to abort the child which made her ill. Why has he not been arrested,” Maliwal said.
She also asked the Delhi government if there were previous complaints against the officer and what action had been taken. Maliwal said a very serious inquiry should be instituted against the officer. “How do we save Delhi’s women and children if protectors turn rapists,” she asked.
The Delhi government has said in a statement: “He (the accused) is a deputy director in the WCD Department. Since an FIR has been lodged in the alleged matter, the law should take its course. The Delhi government is sensitive in regard to such serious matters of women’s safety and child abuse. If he has committed any such reprehensible act, the sternest possible action should be taken against him.”
BJP accused the ruling Aam Aadmi Party of sitting on the matter, since the officer’s suspension came only on 21 August though the FIR was filed on 13 August.
Delhi BJP leader Bansuri Swaraj questioned the “silence” of WCD minister Atishi, saying the rape-accused was a favoured officer of the AAP government.
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