Delhi minor’s rape: Suspended official drugged victim before sexual assault, raped her multiple times

The interrogation of the suspended Delhi officer Pramoday Khakha (51), who had held the position of deputy director in the WCD department, has revealed that he drugged the minor victim before reportedly subjecting her to sexual assault, sources said on Tuesday.

The accused, Khakha, stands accused of repeatedly raping the girl between November 2020 and January 2021.

The victim, who was just 14 years old at the time, is said to have suffered the initial assault on October 31, 2020, after being drugged, as disclosed by sources familiar with the matter.

The victim, who is currently a student in Class 12, recently shared her ordeal with a counselor at St. Stephen's Hospital where she had been admitted due to an anxiety attack.

Subsequent to her disclosure, law enforcement acted on her complaint and initiated legal proceedings under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act on August 13.

After a nine-day investigation, the alleged government officer was apprehended. The victim remains hospitalised and her condition is reported to be unstable due to the trauma she endured.

In a recent development, the suspended Delhi government official was remanded to one-day judicial custody by a local court. Additionally, his wife, Seema Rani, who has also been implicated in the case, was placed in judicial custody for a day on the preceding Monday.

Sources said that there is evidence to suggest the victim may have been subjected to further assaults by the accused individual. "We are currently in possession of his custody, and through interrogation, we hope to unearth additional details," a source said.

The victim was an adopted child who grappled with depression following the passing of her father on October 1, 2020. In an attempt to provide her with a change of scenery, she spent several days at Premodya's residence, as per sources.

During the initial phase of questioning, the accused maintained vehemently that the accusations were entirely unfounded. He asserted that the victim's family had made multiple visits to his home, a claim that is currently under verification. The girl eventually returned to her own home alongside her mother in 2021, during a visit, as reported by sources.

Source said that when the victim disclosed about the incident with accused wife Seema, she faced blame-shifting, with Seema insinuating that the victim might have played a role in the situation. The victim also alleged that Seema had a strict demeanor and resorted to physical discipline when the girl's exam scores were less than satisfactory.

Subsequently, instances were noted where the alleged perpetrator encountered the victim at a church, leading to inappropriate physical contact. These encounters led the victim to withdraw from attending church services after July. The victim refrained from disclosing any of these occurrences to her mother, under the assumption that her mother would not believe her, as stated by the police

Earlier in the day, a CCTV footage obtained by Delhi Police has revealed that the accused tried to flee from his house along with his wife just hours before he was arrested.

The footage with a time stamp of 9.35 a.m. on Monday morning showed the accused and leaving their house in Shakti Enclave, Burari.

A police official said the couple were in touch with their lawyer and were on their way to seek anticipatory bail from a court.

But before they could do so, Khakha and his wife were arrested.

The girl told the police that between October 2020 and February 2021, when she was with her "guardian" who lived in Burari, she was raped several times.

An FIR of rape read with sections of the POCSO Act was lodged against the accused and his wife.

Also on Monday, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had passed the order to suspend Khakha.

According to the police, when the victim got pregnant, she was threatened with dire consequences by the accused.

When she narrated the ordeal to Khakha's wife, she sent her son to buy abortion pills, which were given to the victim.