The Delhi High Court has taken suo motu cognizance in the case pertaining to the rape of a minor girl child by an official of Delhi government’s Women and Child Development Department.
The official of Delhi Government, Premoday Khakha has been accused of raping the minor over several months and impregnating her. The Delhi police has arrested himand his wife.
The allegation against the wife is that she gave abortion pills to the minor child.
A division bench comprising of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sanjeev Narula have taken suo motu cognizance and have instructed the Delhi Police for ensure the identity of the minor child protected and not revealed under any circumstances.
The Delhi Police apprised the Court that the health condition of the child victim, who is presently admitted in a hospital in the national capital, is critical and that she had seizure even yesterday.
The bench has sought a status report from the Delhi Police and Delhi Government’s Women and Child Development Department and listed the matter for hearing on September 14.
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights counsel told the court that the body has taken cognizance of the incident and that it will also file a response in the matter.
The Delhi Government employee Khakha and his wife have been booked under the Indian Penal Code and the POCSO Act. Before his arrest, Khakha was suspended from his post following a direction from Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
As per the Delhi Police, the minor was staying at the residence of Khakha, who was a family friend, after her father passed away in 2020.
Khakha is accused of raping the minor several times between November 2020 and January 2021. Both Khakha and his wife were arrested on August 13.
The FIR has been registered for the offences under 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) and 120B (criminal conspiracy)