A senior official of the Women and Child Development (WCD) department was arrested on Monday on charges of raping his friend’s 14-year-old daughter (now 16-year-old) over months and impregnating her.
The Delhi government official has also been suspended on Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s order. Meanwhile, the official’s wife, who is accused of giving the survivor abortion pills, was also arrested and has been sent to judicial custody.
Sagar Singh Kalsi, Deputy Commissioner of Police (north), on Monday said that a case of rape, molestation, criminal intimidation, criminal conspiracy, causing hurt, causing miscarriage without consent, criminal conspiracy, common intention, and under the Pocso Act, has been registered at the Burari police station.
What is the case?
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.
After this, the suspect offered to take her to his home to support her and help her recover from the trauma. However, he allegedly raped the girl several times between November 2020 and January 2021, when she was 14 years old.
DCP Kalsi said, “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.”
Delhi: Senior govt officer rapes friend’s daughter, his wife gave minor girl abortion pills
He added that the girl opened up about the sexual abuse to the doctors after extensive counseling. “She started 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.
DCW chief sits on dharna
Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal sat on a ‘dharna’ at the hospital in Delhi where the minor girl has been admitted.
She said, “Delhi Police is indulging in hooliganism. They are neither allowing me to meet the girl nor her mother. I can’t understand what do the Delhi Police want to hide from me. I am being told that the NCPCR chairperson was allowed to meet the girl’s mother. When the NCPCR chairperson can meet the mother, why is the DCW chief not being allowed for the same?…”