Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday ordered the suspension of the senior official in the Delhi government’s Women and Child Development department, who is accused of raping his friend’s minor daughter repeatedly for months. The CM has sought a report in the case from Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar latest by 05:00 pm today. The accused has been detained by the Delhi Police.
On the other hand, Delhi Commission for Women chairperson, Swati Maliwal- alleged that she was not allowed to meet the minor victim at the hospital. “For half an hour the hospital administration is preventing me from meeting the minor victim. The guards are saying that the police have forbidden it. What is going on? First of all, you are not arresting the accused and on top of that you are preventing me from meeting the girl. What does Delhi Police want to hide?" she said.
आधे घंटे से अस्पताल का प्रशासन मुझे नाबालिग पीड़िता से मिलने से रोक रहे हैं। गार्ड कह रहे हैं पुलिस ने मना किया है। ये चल क्या रहा है ? पहले तो आरोपी को गिरफ़्तार नहीं कर रहे ऊपर से मुझे लड़की से मिलने से रोक रहे हैं ? क्या छुपाना चाहती है दिल्ली पुलिस ? pic.twitter.com/tZItxZy8Cr— Swati Maliwal (@SwatiJaiHind) August 21, 2023
Maliwal earlier said the panel has issued a notice to the Delhi Police asking why the accused has not been arrested yet.
“A government officer who was sitting on the post of Deputy Director in the Women and Child Development Department for so long has been accused of raping a 16-year-old minor girl and when she got pregnant, he and his wife tried to abort the pregnancy. We have issued notice to Delhi Police, why is he not arrested yet, we are also issuing a notice to Delhi govt because we want to know what are the complaints against him and what actions have been taken against him," she said.
#WATCH | “A government officer who was sitting on the post of Deputy Director in the Women and Child Development Department for so long, has been accused of raping a 16-year-old minor girl and when she got pregnant, he and his wife tried to abort the pregnancy. We have issued… pic.twitter.com/3KbgNWICeF— ANI (@ANI) August 21, 2023
An FIR against the senior official has been registered under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the POCSO Act.
News18 has learnt that the officer was a family friend of the minor, said to be between 17 years of age and a student of Class 12. After her father passed away in 2020, the accused brought her to his home. The victim lived in the accused’s house from October 2020 to February 2021 during which, she was sexually harassed and physically molested and repeatedly raped by her uncle.
According to shocking details that emerged in the case earlier today, when the minor became pregnant after months of abuse, she was forced to terminate her pregnancy by the wife of the accused.
‘Procedural Lapse’
NCPCR chief Priyank Kanoongo on Monday highlighted a “procedural lapse" in this matter.
“If a child’s father or mother died in the period starting April 2020 or the child became an orphan and they need guardianship, then as per the Supreme Court order all their details have to be registered on NCPCR’s Baalswaraj Portal. Delhi Government had said that it has registered the details of all such children. But we have not found her details so far, " Kanoongo said.
The official further mentioned they have asked the officers of the Delhi government, the name of the child and entry for her in Baalswaraj Portal.
“The role of the Church seems suspicious too. The child is yet to give a statement before Child Welfare Committee. We are trying to contact the chief of the Committee since morning but she is not receiving the call. We are monitoring this matter and after collecting this information, we will direct the Delhi Govt to take appropriate action. We are also sending a team to the hospital where the girl is admitted," he added.