If the protector turns into a predator, where is a girl supposed to go? How is she supposed to feel safe in an abode, she was once promised to feel secure in? Are some of the questions raised by Swati Maliwal, Chairperson of the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) on the social media platform X.
On Monday, a horrifying and infuriating case of sexual assault of a 17-year-old minor was reported. What augments more of a rage is the accused, Premoday Khakha, who is a senior government official at the Women and Child Development (WCD) Department, on the post of a deputy director.
Khakha has been detained by the Delhi Chief Minister, Mr. Arvind Kejriwal post a notice issued by DCW seeking an arrest of the accused. The minor was reportedly raped from November 2020 to January 2021 repeatedly, leading to impregnation that was suppressed by the wife of the accused by allegedly giving the victim abortion pills.
A latest report tells us of the wife, Seema Rani being reprimanded into Judicial Custody for abetting in the criminal acts of her husband and on grounds of giving a minor pills, aiding pregnancy termination.
The 17-year-old was the assailant’s friend’s daughter, whose father a government official himself had passed away on October 1, 2020 after which she was taken into Khakha and Seema Rani’s residence under their care in the Burari area of North Delhi. The victim, who is now in the 12th grade, revealed the three year old attack in bouts of anxiety when taken to the hospital during a counseling session. The narration of the horrifying incident by the girl reveals how the girl seeked help from Khakha’s wife, by informing her about the pregnancy but to her horror the woman allegedly slapped her, threatened her and gave her abortion pills to silence her.
Image source: Republic TV CCTV footage of Khakha and wife escaping before their arrest
Furthermore, a CCTV footage has been doing rounds in the media showing the accused couple of their cowardice, fleeing from their house post the release of the news reporting their actions. Swati Maliwal remains persistent in her efforts to get to the roots of the incident but is allegedly being denied the access to officials, or the girl and her family. Previously, on ‘X’ (formerly known as twitter the DCW chief also wrote, “Since 12 noon yesterday, I am sitting outside the hospital to meet the victim girl or her family. Slept outside the hospital at night. The NCPCR can be introduced to the girl’s mother, so why have I been asked to stop? What are you trying to hide?”
According to the Police, 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 women’s consent), 120B ( (criminal conspiracy) and provisions of the POCSO Act on 13th of August itself.
What lies ahead in the investigation remains a question, but unfortunately unpleasant details are to unfold with the only hope being the prompt command of justice.
