Senior Women and Child Development Department official booked for raping minor

A high-ranking official from the Women and Child Development department of the Delhi government has been booked for raping a minor over several months and impregnating her, police said.

The accused, who holds the position of deputy director within the WCD department, had taken the girl into his home following the death of her father in October 2020, they said.

According to a senior police official, the accused reportedly subjected the girl to multiple instances of sexual assault between November 2020 and January 2021.

He said that the allegations came to light when the survivor, who is currently in Class 12, recently confided in a hospital counselor about the traumatic incident after suffering from an anxiety attack.

“It was revealed that the accused’s wife had also been involved in this distressing situation, administering medication to terminate the pregnancy when the minor became pregnant as a result of the alleged assaults,” an official said.

In response to the accusations, the Delhi government expressed a strong stance, insisting that if the accused is proven guilty, he should face severe consequences, he said.

Emphasizing their commitment to women’s safety and child welfare, the government conveyed that appropriate legal action must be taken based on the FIR that has been lodged, he added.

The survivor had been living with the accused and his family in their residence since the passing of her father, he further added.

According to official, seizing the opportunity, the accused is said to have repeatedly subjected her to sexual abuse during this time.

“When she fell pregnant, she notified the accused’s wife, who purportedly procured medications to terminate the pregnancy, and administered them to the minor,” the officer said.

The incident was brought to the attention of the authorities when the survivor recounted her ordeal during a counseling session at St. Stephen’s Hospital, where she had been admitted due to an anxiety attack, he said, adding that subsequently, the hospital reported the matter to the local police station, leading to the filing of a case against the accused under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

The accused faces charges including rape, criminal conspiracy, causing miscarriage without the woman’s consent, and other related offenses. The survivor’s official statement is yet to be recorded before a magistrate, and an ongoing investigation is underway. The police stated that medical examinations have been conducted to support the survivor’s claims, and she is currently in a phase of recovery and receiving appropriate care. (With inputs from PTI)