Senior Official in Delhi Government Arrested for Alleged Rape of Minor

A senior official in the Delhi government’s Women and Child Development department has been suspended and arrested for allegedly raping his friend’s minor daughter repeatedly for months. The accused, Premoday Khakha, and his wife have been detained by the Delhi Police, who are investigating the matter.

The Chief Minister of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal, took action in response to the accusations and requested a report on the case from Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar. The accused has been booked for allegedly raping his deceased friend’s minor daughter for several months. Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar has been asked to submit the report by 5 pm today.

The police action came after Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal asked Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar to suspend the officer. The CM has also sought a report in the case from Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar latest by 5 pm today. The accused, Premoday Khakha and his wife were detained by the Delhi Police earlier before arrest.

Delhi Minister Atishi expressed shock at the case, as the accused was working in the Department of Women & Child Development. She called for strict action to be taken by the Delhi Police, adding that the accused never worked as her OSD.

Delhi Commission for Women chairperson Swati Maliwal alleged that she was not allowed to meet the minor victim at the hospital. She criticized the hospital administration and the Delhi Police for preventing her from meeting the girl, questioning their motives. Maliwal also said that the panel has issued a notice to the Delhi Police asking why the accused has not been arrested yet.

The accused, who was a family friend of the victim, allegedly brought her to his home after her father passed away in 2020. The victim, who is a student in Class 12 and said to be 17 years old, lived with the accused from October 2020 to February 2021. During this time, she was sexually harassed, physically molested, and repeatedly raped by her uncle.

Shocking details emerged in the case, revealing that when the minor became pregnant after months of abuse, the accused’s wife forced her to terminate the pregnancy.

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) Chief Priyank Kanoongo highlighted a procedural lapse in this matter. He mentioned that the child’s details should have been registered on the NCPCR’s Baalswaraj Portal, but they have not been found so far. Kanoongo also raised suspicions about the role of the Church in the case and the lack of cooperation from the Child Welfare Committee.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has criticized the Delhi government for not taking action against the accused sooner. Bansuri Swaraj, a BJP leader, questioned why the government did not act when the FIR was registered on August 13. The Mahila Congress President, Netta D’Souza, called for the strictest action to be taken against the accused and for him to be terminated and imprisoned.