Delhi officer, wife arrested. He allegedly raped teen, she gave abortion pills
NEW DELHI,AUG 21: A senior official of the Women and Child Development department was arrested on Monday on charges of raping his friend’s 14-year-old daughter (now 17-years-old) over months and impregnating her. The official’s wife, who is accused of giving the survivor abortion pills, was also arrested.
The Delhi government official has also been suspended on Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s order.
The survivor is a student of Class 12 in Delhi and was living with the accused, Premoday Khakha, and his family after her father’s death on October 1, 2020.
Premoday Khakha is a deputy director in the WCD department. He was her local guardian and the girl used to call him ‘mama’ (maternal uncle).
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The accused had allegedly raped the girl several times between November 2020 and January 2021, when she was 14-years-old.
Delhi Police has also lodged an FIR against the accused and his wife on charges of rape under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The wife has been charged with giving her medicine to terminate the pregnancy.
According to a statement by DCP (north) Sagar Singh, an FIR has been registered under the Pocso Act on the survivor’s complaint.
“The survivor said that she started living with a family friend, her guardian, after her father’s death from October 2020 to February 2021. She was sexually harassed, physically molested and repeatedly raped by the uncle under whose care and guardianship she was staying at his house. The survivor started having anxiety bouts and was admitted to a hospital a week back,” the police official said.
He added that the girl opened up about the sexual abuse to the doctors after extensive counseling. “She stated having panic attacks after undergoing the termination of pregnancy by the accused and his wife. A medical examination has been done and an investigation is on,” DCP Singh said.
“Details will be disclosed after recording the judicial statement in front of the magistrate. The survivor is still recovering and is under care. She is a minor and a student,” the senior police official said.
He added that the girl is undergoing treatment in a hospital. “After registering the FIR, we filed an application in court on the second day itself to record the statement of the girl in front of the magistrate, but the doctor refused permission, saying she was not in the right mental condition,” DCP Singh said.
Delhi Commission for Women Chairperson, Swati Maliwal, criticized the “slow pace of action” in the case, questioning why police had not arrested the accused yet.
“A government official holding the position of Deputy Director in the Women and Child Development Department in Delhi has been accused of sexual assault of a girl. The police have not arrested him yet. Delhi Police are issuing notices in this regard. Someone who was supposed to ensure the safety of daughters has turned into a predator. Where should girls go? Arrest should happen soon!,” she tweeted.
-PTI
