Not allowed to meet rape victim: DCW chief holds sit-in at hospital

Swati Maliwal, the head of the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW), continued her sit-in protest at St. Stephen’s Hospital for the second consecutive day on Tuesday.

The protest was in response to the rape of a minor girl by a Delhi government official named Premoday Khakha, who worked as a deputy director in the city government’s women and child development department.

According to the Delhi Police, Premoday Khakha — a deputy director in the city government’s women and child development department — allegedly raped the girl several times between November 2020 and January 2021. Khakha’s wife, Seema Rani, is accused of providing the victim with medication to terminate her pregnancy.

Maliwal initiated the protest on Monday, claiming that she was denied access to meet the survivor. However, a police official contradicted this, stating that the victim’s mother did not want to meet anyone while her daughter was still under observation.

“I came here (at the hospital) at 11 am yesterday but the Delhi Police did not allow me to meet the survivor or her mother. I spent the night here. I don’t understand why the police are not allowing me to meet them,” the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chairperson said.

She said the commission has sent a notice to the Delhi Police and the city government’s women and child development and services departments, seeking action in the matter, and it was important to meet the minor and her mother for further action.

“Had I not come to meet the girl, they would have said that I didn’t bother to see her. Now when I am here, they are saying it’s a drama. Politics has fallen to such levels that politicians cannot speak the truth,” she tweeted.

Khakha and his wife were arrested on Monday. Maliwal criticised the police for not allowing her to meet the survivor and her mother, asserting that their cooperation was crucial for further action. She expressed frustration with the political climate and stated that politicians were constrained from speaking the truth.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal responded to the situation by ordering the suspension of the accused officer. The order stipulated that the officer would not be allowed to leave the department headquarters without prior permission during the suspension period.

Seema Rani was produced before a court on Monday and subsequently sent to judicial custody. Meanwhile, Premoday Khakha was scheduled to be produced in court on Tuesday. (With inputs from PTI)