The accused, a deputy director in the WCD department, accommodated the girl and her family at his residence following her father’s demise on October 1, 2020.
New Delhi: A senior government official was arrested by the Delhi Police on Monday after he was accused of raping his deceased friend’s minor daughter for several months and causing her pregnancy. The accused, a deputy director in the Women and Child Development (WCD) department, accommodated the girl and her family at his residence following her father’s demise on October 1, 2020. Police on Monday also arrested his wife for allegedly giving the girl medication to terminate the pregnancy.
Meanwhile, a four-member team of the National Commission for Women (NCW) visited the hospital where the minor girl has been admitted for inquiry into the case, as reported by news agency ANI.
The incident came to light when the girl, presently in Class 12, disclosed the events to a counsellor at a hospital where she sought treatment for an anxiety attack, the police said.
Here’s everything that has happened so far:
- The rape-accused official and his wife were arrested by Police. His wife was arrested for allegedly giving the girl pregnancy termination medication.
- DCP North District Sagar Singh Kalsi informed that the accused couple has been arrested. He told ANI, “In the case of sexual assault with a minor, we have arrested two persons. One of them is Premoday Khakha, 51 years old, he is a Deputy Director in the Department of Women and Child Development of GNCT and the second accused is his wife, Seema Rani, 50 years old. The investigation is in progress.”
- Explaining the facts in the case, he informed that the accused was a local guardian of the victim after her father’s death. “The victim is undergoing treatment and is currently stable. We have arrested Seema Rani as she was also aware of the incident and she has been effective in getting the abortion done. The investigation is in progress,” he said.
- Rekha Sharma, the Chairperson of the National Commission for Women (NCW), said that the NCW has taken suo-moto cognisance of the case. “We will conduct an inquiry into the case. The accused and his wife had kept the girl with them illegally. When an employee of the Women & Child Development Dept of Delhi govt who was also working with DCW doing all this, were the Delhi govt & DCW doing? We are hearing that some people from the government were trying to save the accused officer,” she said, questioning the Delhi government and the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW).
- A four-member team of the NCW visited the hospital in Delhi where the minor girl has been admitted. One of the members, Mamta Kumari told ANI, “We came here after forming a committee for enquiry into this case. We went to the office of the Police Commissioner but he did not meet us there. We were told that he is out for some work. We tried to meet the IO but we were told that he has gone to Court. When we came here to meet the victim, we are being told that her mother does not want to meet us…They are doing this to cover this up.”
- DCW chief Swati Maliwal sat on a protest at a hospital on Monday after she alleged that she was not allowed to meet the minor girl. “The (accused) Delhi government official has exerted clout that’s why he was not arrested for 10 days by Delhi Police. We have come here to meet the victim but we are not allowed by police to do so,” she told PTI.
- Earlier in the day, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal ordered the accused WCD official’s suspension and had sought a report from Chief Secretary by 5 pm today.
- While speaking to ANI, Mahila Congress President Netta D’Souza said, “It is unfortunate that such a person is in the Woman and Child Development ministry that speaks volumes about sensitivity towards the cause of women and child development. If he’s involved in such a grievous crime, such a person should be terminated and imprisoned. The police must take immediate action. We request the Delhi CM (Arvind Kejriwal) to ensure that the strictest of actions should be taken against such officers.”