NEW DELHI: “Building relationship to protect humanity,” read the LinkedIn bio of 51-year-old Premoday Khakha on social media who is accused of raping a minor girl who came to reside with him after the loss of her father.
In the “about” column of his LinkedIn profile, Khakha mentioned that he is a resource trainer on child protection under the Juvenile Justice (CPC) Act, POCSO Act, and ICPS programmes. Even under the skills section, Khakha has written that he is adept in child protection.
Khakha served as the Superintendent of the Juvenile Justice Board in Delhi from February to August 2011.
Khakha, who worked as a deputy director with the Women and Child Department of the government, also served as the OSD to Minister Kailash Gahlot, in addition to his work as Deputy Director, when the WCD department was under him. However, after Atishi took over, the officer was repatriated, according to an order.
Khakha’s social media profile further revealed that he had worked on multiple programmes related to rehabilitation and social reintegration of children in conflict with law, children who are in need of care and protection, and other schemes for ensuring child protection and development.
He did graduation, BA (Hons) in Geography from St Columbia College, Hazaribagh in Jharkhand and completed his Master's degree from Delhi University in Social Work.
Khakha had allegedly raped the girl several times between November 2020 and January 2021. She was staying at the residence of the accused, a family friend, after her father passed away on October 1, 2020, the police had said.
A court here on Tuesday sent him to one-day judicial custody. His wife Seema Rani, who is accused of giving the girl medicine to terminate her pregnancy, was also sent to judicial custody for a day.
The couple was arrested on Monday after the victim recorded her statement before a magistrate at a hospital.
A case has been registered under provisions of the POCSO Act and 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) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to outrage the modesty of a woman), police said.
IPC sections 506 (criminal intimidation), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 313 (causing miscarriage without woman's consent) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) have also been invoked in the case, police said.