Who is Premoday Khakha, Delhi officer accused of raping minor
What's the story
Premoday Khakha, reportedly an associate director at Delhi's Women and Child Development Department, has been accused of raping a minor girl.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Khakha works as a nodal officer for the implementation of programs of juvenile justice (JJ) and the Integrated Child Protection Scheme.
He is also a member of the drafting committee for JJ (Care and Protection of Children) Rules.
More info
Khakha arrested over sexual assault charges
In a major development, Khakha was arrested by the Delhi Police on Monday, reported the news outlet Mint.
Providing an update, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) North District Sagar Singh Kalsi said that they are interrogating the accused and "his statement is being recorded."
"Any other witnesses or accused will be made a part of the investigation," he added.
Key update
Accused official's wife force-fed victim abortion pills: Report
According to the news outlet News18, sources in the know revealed that the accused's wife force-fed the 14-year-old victim abortion pills to terminate her pregnancy after she got pregnant following months of abuse.
While the official statement of the victim girl is yet to be recorded before the magistrate, she is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital.
Details
Victim lived with accused, his family between 2020-21
The victim lost her father in 2020 and lived with the accused and his family from October 2020 to February 2021.
During that time, she was allegedly sexually harassed, physically molested, and raped by Khakha.
However, the case came to light after the minor girl began experiencing anxiety attacks and was recently taken to a counselor, who helped her open up about the abuse.
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Details on FIR by Delhi Police
Meanwhile, the Delhi Police has registered an FIR against the accused man under numerous sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Furthermore, the wife of the accused has also been charged under IPC Section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) in the FIR for aiding him in the crime and not reporting the matter to the cops.
What Next?
Delhi CM orders suspension of accused official
Furthermore, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has ordered the suspension of the accused government official amid public outrage.
Reacting to this move, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Saurabh Bharadwaj told the news agency ANI, "This is a horrific incident. This incident has shamed humanity."
"Since action was not taken, CM Arvind Kejriwal has himself ordered the suspension of the official," he added.
Insights
DCW demands probe against accused
On Monday, Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) Chairperson Swati Maliwal also demanded a probe against the accused.
"We (DCW) have issued notice to Delhi Police, why is he not arrested yet, we are also issuing a notice to Delhi government because we want to know what are the complaints against him and what actions have been taken," Maliwal told ANI.
Twitter Post
You can watch Maliwal's reaction here
#WATCH | "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… pic.twitter.com/3KbgNWICeF
— ANI (@ANI) August 21, 2023