Delhi Minor Rape: Accused, Wife Sent to 14 Days Judicial Custody

The special Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) judge of the Tis Hazari Court sent Premoday Khakha and his wife Seema Rani, the suspended Delhi government official to 14 days of judicial custody till September 6 for raping a minor girl.

The Delhi Police had on Monday arrested the government official and his wife for the alleged sexual assault on the minor girl.

Following the death of the girl's father, who was also a Delhi government employee, the girl was living with the accused in Burari from October 2020 to February 2021, according to the police.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday suspended the accused government official pending an investigation, in the aftermath of the allegations surfacing.

An official order issued by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government read, "In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-rule (1) of Rule 10 of the Central Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1965, Premoday Khakha, Assistant Director is hereby placed under suspension with immediate effect."

The Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Sagar Singh Kalsi said on Monday that further probe into the matter has been initiated and investigations are underway.

In the meantime, the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chairperson Swati Maliwal sent a notice to Delhi Police seeking details of the accused on Wednesday.

In addition, she sought to know whether all the accused named by the complainant have been arrested and what steps were taken by the Delhi Police to record the statement of the survivor under 164 CrPC. Moreover, she sought a detailed action taken report in connection with the matter.

"The Commission has also been informed that till now the statement of survivor under 164 CrPC has not been recorded. The girl is presently admitted in a government hospital in a very serious condition," the notice sent by DCW to Delhi police read.

Maliwal sat on a dharna at the hospital where the minor is admitted, alleging that she was not allowed to meet her.

Accusing Delhi Police of 'hooliganism', the Delhi women's panel chief said questioned why she wasn't being allowed to meet the minor or her kin when the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) chairperson had met her mother.

Also Read: Delhi Child Welfare Official Booked for Raping Friend's Minor Daughter