 "Who is Premoday Khakha, the Delhi govt officer accused of raping friend’s teen daughter?")
On Monday, the Delhi government suspended an official accused of raping and impregnating a teenager. The official, Premoday Khakha, has also been arrested by the police alongside his wife – who is accused of giving the survivor abortion pills.
#WATCH | The now-suspended rape-accused Delhi government official and his wife have been detained by Police.
— ANI (@ANI) August 21, 2023
The official has been booked for allegedly raping his deceased friend's minor daughter for several months. pic.twitter.com/WN7YSqEi5E
Khakha was placed under suspension with immediate effect according to an order issued by Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar. This came after Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal ordered the chief secretary to suspend of the officer. The order issued by the Chief Secretary stated that a disciplinary proceeding against Khakha was being contemplated. But who is Khakha? And what happened? Let’s take a closer look: Khakha is a deputy director in the Delhi government’s women and child development department.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Khakha was an Officer on Special Duty (OSD) since March 2022.
Khakha previously served as assistant director, Litigation and Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), in the Women and Child Development department and was superintendent/person-in-charge of the Juvenile Justice Board I & III and Observation Home for Boys-II in Delhi. He was also assistant director in the Department of Women & Child Development and was assigned for the implementation of Integrated Child Protection Scheme in Delhi and the superintendent- head of the office of Delhi’s Juvenile Justice Board. According to India Today, the survivor had been living with Khakha and his family since the death of her father – a family friend – in October 2020. The survivor is a Class 12 student. Khakha has been accused of repeatedly raping the minor between November 2020 and January 2021. The survivor in January 2021 returned to her mother’s home as per NDTV. The survivor was admitted to hospital last week after having anxiety attacks, police said. The survivor’s mother took her to the hospital, police added. DCP (north) Sagar Singh, told the outlet an FIR has been registered under the POCSO Act on the basis of a complaint from the survivor. “The survivor said that she started living with a family friend, her guardian, after her father’s death from October 2020 to February 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 only confided in authorities after receiving extensive counselling, police added.
According to Free Press Journal, the survivor told Khakha’s wife she was pregnant.
However, Khakha’s wife, rather than report the matter to the police, told the survivor to keep it under wraps. She then got her son to get abortion medication and gave it to the survivor. As per NewsBytes, Khakha’s wife has been charged with criminal conspiracy under IPC Section 120-B for aiding her husband and not alerting the police. Khakha could face a 20-year jail term if convicted or even a life sentence, while his wife could face a 10-year jail term, as per the website. “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 of 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, as per Mint. ‘Shocking case’ Speaking to News18, Delhi minister Atishi said Khakha never worked as her OSD.
Calling it a shocking case, Atishi called on the Delhi Police to take ‘strict action’.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsDelhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said this is a “heinous act” that has “shaken society”. “Everyone has daughters, and this is a very shameful act. The officer should be punished to the fullest extent of the law,” Bharadwaj added, as per NDTV. As per News18, prior to Khakha’s arrest, Swati Maliwal, chairperson, Delhi Commission for Women, slammed the Delhi Police and claimed she was not allowed to meet the minor survivor.
आधे घंटे से अस्पताल का प्रशासन मुझे नाबालिग पीड़िता से मिलने से रोक रहे हैं। गार्ड कह रहे हैं पुलिस ने मना किया है। ये चल क्या रहा है ? पहले तो आरोपी को गिरफ़्तार नहीं कर रहे ऊपर से मुझे लड़की से मिलने से रोक रहे हैं ? क्या छुपाना चाहती है दिल्ली पुलिस ? pic.twitter.com/tZItxZy8Cr
— Swati Maliwal (@SwatiJaiHind) August 21, 2023
“For half an hour the hospital administration is preventing me from meeting the minor victim. The guards are saying that the police have forbidden it. What is going on? First of all, you are not arresting the accused and on top of that you are preventing me from meeting the girl. What does Delhi Police want to hide?" she asked. Maliwal also said the DCW has issued a notice to the Delhi Police. “A government officer who was sitting on the post of Deputy Director in the Women and Child Development Department for so long has been accused of raping a 16-year-old minor girl and when she got pregnant, he and his wife tried to abort the pregnancy. We have issued notice to Delhi Police, why is he not arrested yet, we are also issuing a notice to Delhi govt because we want to know what are the complaints against him and what actions have been taken against him," she was quoted as saying. But Singh told NDTV the case was registered on 13 August – a week after the survivor was taken to hospital. Police also said the survivor is not yet up to making a statement before the magistrate. However, the police said they are gearing up to ensure this is done as soon as possible. With inputs from agencies
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