Delhi official in police custody on charges of repeatedly raping teenager, impregnating her

A Deputy Director in Delhi government was on Monday taken into police custody on charges of repeatedly raping his late friend's teenaged daughter in 2020-21 as also his wife for allegedly administering medicine to abort her pregnancy, a week after a case was registered.

Premoday Khakha, who is working as Deputy Director in Delhi government's Women and Child Development department, has been suspended from service.

The girl was staying with the accused and his family at their house in north Delhi after her father passed away on 1 October, 2020. Khakha had allegedly raped her repeatedly between November 2020 and January 2021 and impregnated her.

The incident came to light only earlier this month when the survivor's mother took her to St Stephen's Hospital after she suffered panic attacks. During counselling, she told counsellors about the trauma she underwent during the stay with the Khakha family, following which the hospital authorities informed police.

The girl, now studying in Class XII and had returned to her home in January 2021 itself, also told her counsellors that she became pregnant and when she told Khakha's wife about it, she asked her son to get medicines for aborting her pregnancy and gave it to her.

After police was informed, a case was registered under Indian Penal Code sections 376(2)(f) (being a relative, guardian or teacher of, or a person in a position of trust or authority towards the woman, commits rape on such woman), 509 (word, gesture or act intended to outrage the modesty of a woman), 506 (criminal intimidation), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 313 (causing miscarriage without women's consent), 120B ( (criminal conspiracy) and provisions of the POCSO Act.

On Monday, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal ordered the suspension of the officer and asked Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar to submit a report. 

Earlier in the day, the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) sent a notice to the Delhi Police, seeking the arrest of the official. 

Chairperson of the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW), Swati Maliwal, tweeted, "If the one whose job is to protect the daughters turns into a predator, then where will the girls go? In Delhi, a government officer sitting on the post of deputy director in the women and child development department has been accused of sexually abusing a girl child. The police haven't arrested him yet. Issuing notice to Delhi Police. If the one whose job was to protect the daughters turns into a predator, then where will the girls go! He must be arrested soon."