Panic attacks, counselling, & more: How Delhi teen's rape by government officer was exposed

In the year 2020, a 14-year-old girl moved into the house of her father’s friend after he was killed in an accident. Premoday Khakha, the friend and a senior officer in the Women and Child Development (WCD) division of the Delhi government, has now been arrested for allegedly raping the minor girl while she was there and for getting her pregnant. But how did matter come to light after so many months? Let’s take a look. Also read: Who is Premoday Khakha, the Delhi govt officer accused of raping friend’s teen daughter? Panic attacks & counselling The girl, who is now 17 years old, reportedly experienced panic attacks following an abortion. She opened up about the abuse during her counselling. According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Sagar Singh Kalsi, her mother admitted her to the hospital due to panic attacks. India Today quoted him as saying that the survivor went through counselling when the doctors enquired about the reason for the panic attack. The victim narrated the ordeal, following which the police registered a complaint against the accused and his wife for charges of rape under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Also read: 10 years on, remembering the Delhi gang rape and how it changed our lives The case in detail The deputy director of the Delhi government’s Women and Child Development (WCD) department promised to look after his friend’s daughter, who was 14 at the time, when his friend died in an accident during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. For four months, from October 2020 to January 2021, the young girl, a Class 12 student, stayed with his family. The accused was the local guardian of the girl, thus she used to address him as “mama” (maternal uncle). “The survivor said that she started living with a family friend, her guardian, after her father’s death from October 2020 to January 2021. She was sexually harassed, physically molested and repeatedly raped by the uncle under whose care and guardianship she was staying at his house. The survivor started having anxiety bouts and was admitted to a hospital a week back,” Singh said. The survivor informed Khakha’s wife that she was pregnant, according to Free Press Journal. Instead of calling the police, Khakha’s wife advised the survivor to keep the incident under wraps. She then convinced her son to buy abortion pills, which she later gave to the survivor. The senior officer, 50, and his wife were arrested on 21 August. According to NewsBytes, Khakha’s wife has been accused of criminal conspiracy under IPC Section 120-B for supporting her husband while keeping the authorities in the dark. Police said the 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 woman’s consent), 120B (criminal conspiracy) and provisions of the POCSO Act. According to NewsBytes, Khakha might be sentenced to 20 years in prison or even life in prison, while his wife could receive a 10-year sentence. “He (the accused) is a deputy director in the WCD Department. Since an FIR has been lodged in the alleged matter, the law should take its course. The Delhi government is sensitive in regard to such serious matters as women’s safety and child abuse. If he has committed any such reprehensible act, the sternest possible action should be taken against him,” the Delhi government said in a statement. NDTV reported the survivor’s statement will be recorded in front of the magistrate in accordance with Section 164 of the CrPC. The DCP (North) stated that despite medical advice, she is still unable to record her statement. Once her condition improves, her statement will be recorded. Also read: How Delhi services bill will change the power dynamics in the Capital “Procedural lapse” A “procedural lapse” in this case was cited by NCPCR chief Priyank Kanoongo on Monday. “If a child’s father or mother died in the period starting April 2020 or the child became an orphan and they need guardianship, then as per the Supreme Court order all their details have to be registered on NCPCR’s Baalswaraj Portal. Delhi Government had said that it has registered the details of all such children. But we have not found her details so far," News18 quoted Kanoongo as saying. The official went on to say that they had enquired of Delhi government officials the name of the child and her entry in the Baalswaraj Portal. “The role of the Church seems suspicious too. The child is yet to give a statement before Child Welfare Committee. We are trying to contact the chief of the Committee since morning but she is not receiving the call. We are monitoring this matter and after collecting this information, we will direct the Delhi Govt to take appropriate action. We are also sending a team to the hospital where the girl is admitted," he added. With inputs from agencies