Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister of Delhi, has ordered the suspension of a Delhi government official who has been booked for allegedly raping the minor daughter of a deceased friend for a period of several months. The Chief Secretary of Delhi has been asked to submit a report by 5 pm today. The order follows the booking of a senior official of the Women and Child Department of the National Capital Region (NCR) in Delhi for the alleged rape of a minor daughter of a deceased friend for a period of several months and the resulting pregnancy, according to a report by the News Agency of India (PTI) on Sunday, August 20.
In response to the news, AAP leader and minister for the environment, Saurabh Bharadwaj said to news agency ANI, “This is a horrific incident…This incident has shamed humanity. Action should have been taken by now. Since action was not taken, CM Arvind Kejriwal has himself ordered the suspension of the official.” After her dad passed away on October 1st, 2020, the accused, who works as a deputy director in WCD, put her and her family up at his place.
Sagar Singh Kalsi, the DCP North District, said this to ANI, “A case was registered in Burari PS of North District. The 17-year-old girl lost her father in Oct 2020. Later, the girl was sent to the residence of her deceased father’s family friend who is the accused (Delhi govt official) in the case now. She submitted that in Nov-Dec 2020 and Jan 2021 she was raped by her local guardian.” “When she told this to the accused’s wife, the woman threatened her and also made her undergo an abortion. The girl has been under stress and tension. She also suffered panic attacks after the incident. During her treatment & mediation, the incidents came to light. The doctors have advised that the girl is not fit to give a statement. Action will be taken after recording the girl’s statement,” he added.
According to the PTI, the incident started when the girl, who is in Class 12, told her counsellor at the hospital where she was getting treatment for an anxiety disorder. She had been living with him and his family ever since her dad died, and she said she had been sexually abused multiple times. The report said that when the girl found out she was pregnant, her husband’s wife gave her some pills to help her end the pregnancy, according to the report. The girl told her mum at a counselling session in August at St. Stephen’s Hospital.
According to the report, when the Burari police station was made aware of this, a case was registered against the accused under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the POCSO Act. The charges against the accused include rape, outrage of modesty, criminal intimidation, inflicting injury, abortion without consent, and criminal conspiracy, the report said. The report added that the girl’s statement has not yet been recorded before a magistrate, and the investigation is on-going.