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Delhi official accused of raping friend’s daughter detained along with wife
The official allegedly raped the girl from October 2020 to February 2021 after bringing her home following her father’s death in 2020
A Delhi government official accused of raping a friend’s 16-year-old daughter repeatedly was on Monday detained for questioning along with his wife, who allegedly gave the teenager abortion pills, following an outcry over the delay in action in the case.
The official allegedly raped the girl from October 2020 to February 2021 after bringing her home following her father’s death. The sexual abuse came to light when a psychiatrist at a Delhi hospital, who counselled the girl, reported the matter to the police this month.
The couple was detained hours after Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal ordered the official’s suspension as the clamour for the latter’s arrest grew. A spokesperson for the Delhi government said Kejriwal has asked chief secretary Naresh Kumar to submit a report on the matter by 5pm on Monday.
Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said the horrific incident has shamed humanity. He cited the delay in the action and added that prompted Kejriwal to intervene and direct the officer’s suspension. Bharadwaj promised all possible legal assistance to the girl.
Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal earlier said she will issue a notice to the police over the delay in action while adding the accused must be arrested soon. “If the one whose job was to protect the daughters turns into a predator, then where will the girls go?”
The accused, a deputy director in the women and child development department (WCD), was booked under the stringent Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, which warrants immediate arrest, apart from the Indian Penal Code sections related to criminal intimidation, conspiracy, causing miscarriage without consent, etc.
Deputy police commissioner Sagar Singh Kalsi said the arrest was delayed as they were unable to record the girl’s statement before a magistrate. “The child is still under trauma and stress. She is under observation. The investigation is in progress...”
A second police officer, who did not want to be identified, said the girl was undergoing treatment following an anxiety attack. He added the doctors treating her said she needed to be under observation for 14 days.
The official joined the Delhi government over 25 years back as a welfare officer. He has also served as the superintendent of the Juvenile Justice Board which oversees the rehabilitation of delinquent juveniles.
In his social media profile, the accused identifies himself as an officer on special duty (OSD) to the WCD minister. But the government clarified he was not an OSD but a deputy director in the department.
The Delhi government spokesperson said since the first information report has been lodged in the matter, the law should take its course. “The Delhi government is sensitive...to such serious matters of women’s safety and child abuse...If he has committed any such reprehensible act, then the sternest possible action should be taken against him.”
