NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Monday junked the statutory bail plea by suspended Women and Child Development Department Officer, Premoday Khakha, and his wife Seema Rani in a POCSO case about the rape case of a minor girl who was staying with the couple.
Khakha who has allegedly raped the minor girl several times and impregnated her while his wife Seema Rani has been charged with giving the girl medicines to terminate her pregnancy. Both are currently in judicial custody.
Dismissing the couple's statutory bail plea on the ground that the Delhi Police could not complete the investigation in the stipulated time, Justice Jyoti Singh noted that there was "no infirmity" in the trial court order and the investigation by the cops was done within the stipulated time.
"The charge sheet was filed on October 11, 2023. Cognizance was taken by the trial court on November 8, 2023. Undoubtedly, a substantial investigation has been completed. The court finds no infirmity in the trial court order refusing default bail," the high court remarked.
According to police, the minor had started living with her guardian-turned-abuser Khakha, in Burari, after the death of her father on October 1, 2020.
The girl, now in Class XII, recently narrated the incident to a counsellor at a hospital where she was admitted following an anxiety attack.
Khakha, who worked as a deputy director with the WCDD of the city government, also served as the OSD to Minister Kailash Gahlot, in addition to his position, when the department was under him. However, after Atishi took over, the officer was repatriated, as per records.
The couple was arrested after the victim recorded her statement before a magistrate at a hospital.
The police, based on her complaint, had registered a case under relevant sections of IPC and the POCSO Act on August 13, however, arrested the officer after nine days.
In August last year, the high court took suo moto cognizance of the matter.
