Delhi official held for raping girl in his care

An officer in Delhi’s women and child development (WCD) department accused of raping a minor girl for months was arrested along with his wife on Monday, even as the state government suspended him from his position amid mounting outrage over a case that has stunned the national capital and set off a swirling political controversy.

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The arrests came hours after Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal ordered the state administration to remove the suspect, Premoday Khakha (51), who served as an assistant director in the WCD department.

Delhi’s deputy commissioner of police (north) Sagar Singh Kalsi confirmed that Khakha and his wife, Seema Rani (50), were taken into custody hours after officers recorded the survivor’s statement on Monday. The first information report in the case, under sections of rape, molestation, criminal intimidation, criminal conspiracy, causing hurt, causing miscarriage without consent, criminal conspiracy, common intention, and under the Pocso Act, was registered at Burari police station on August 13.

Khakha was booked on August 13 for raping and impregnating a 17-year-old girl who lived under his care with his family in their home in outer Delhi’s Burari. The man’s wife administered the girl abortion pills later on.

According to the survivor’s complaint, Khakha, whom she called “Mama” (maternal uncle), brought her to his residence in October 2020, after her father died of Covid-19.

Khakha raped her repeatedly between November 2020 and January 2021, she said, adding that she returned to her mother, who also lives in Burari, in April 2021, saying she “did not like to live with Khakha’s family”, said police, citing the complaint. It is unclear if she was assaulted after January 2021.

However, for more than two years, the girl did not inform her mother about the sexual assault or use of contraceptive pills.