Minor rape case: Delhi Govt official, wife sent to one-day judicial custody, advocate representing accused calls allegations "baseless" 

New Delhi [India], August 22 : The Tis Hazari court on Tuesday sent the accused Delhi government official Premoday Khakha and his wife to judicial custody till Wednesday in connection with the rape of a minor girl.
The accused government official allegedly sexually harassed his friend's minor daughter for several months and impregnated her. His wife Seema Rani, who was also arrested by the Delhi Police in the same case, has also been sent to further one-day judicial custody.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Sagar Singh Kalsi said that further investigation is underway into the matter. 

"The two accused were arrested yesterday before sunset. The wife of the main accused appeared in court yesterday and was sent for judicial custody. Today the main accused, Premoday Khakha has also been sent to judicial custody after his appearance in the court. We are analysing the facts that came up during the investigation. Further investigation is underway," he said. 
Meanwhile, Umashankar Gautam, the lawyer representing the accused Delhi govt officer and his wife said that the allegations against him are baseless as he underwent Vasectomy 20 years ago. 

"We are ready to face any challenge. Allegations of pregnancy against him are false and baseless as he underwent Vasectomy 20 years ago," he said. 
Meanwhile Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) Chairperson Swati Maliwal on Tuesday wrote a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and said that she should be allowed to have a meeting with the minor girl who was allegedly sexually assaulted by a government official in the national capital. 
DCW chief Maliwal claimed that Delhi Police is not allowing her to meet the minor or her parents. 
"I request you to direct the Delhi Police to allow my meeting with the survivor or her mother so
that the Commission can assist them," the letter read.
She further demanded that the minor girl should be shifted to AIIMS Delhi for better treatment and care.  
"Shift the survivor urgently to AIIMS for better treatment and care. In case the survivor and her family do not want to be shifted to AIIMS, a team of doctors from AIIMS should be sent to examine the survivor and oversee her treatment," the letter read. 
Swati Maliwal also requested Home Minister Amit Shah to set up an inquiry committee on the delay in the arrest of the accused Delhi Government official.
"This is a very serious case as the accused man was a government official entrusted with the
task of securing the rights of women and children in the Capital. The fact that Delhi Police
failed to arrest him for over eight days and has disallowed my meeting with the survivor or her
family raises serious concerns regarding the conduct of the Police," the letter read.
Swati Maliwal also continued her sit-in on Tuesday at a hospital after she was stopped from meeting the minor, who was allegedly raped by a senior official of the Delhi government.
Accusing Delhi Police of 'hooliganism', the Delhi women's panel chief said questioned why she wasn't being allowed to meet the minor or her kin when the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) chairperson had met her mother.
"Delhi Police is indulging in hooliganism. They are neither allowing me to meet the girl nor her mother. I can't understand what is Delhi Police trying to hide from me. I am told that the NCPCR chairperson was allowed to meet the girl's mother. When the NCPCR chairperson can meet the (minor's) mother, why can't the DCW chief?" Maliwal questioned.
In this regard, Aam Aadmi Party leader and minister Saurabh Bhardwaj on Tuesday came down heavily on Delhi Police for not allowing Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal to meet the minor, who was allegedly subjected to repeated sexual assaults by a senior government official. 
Labelling the city police as “coercive” for not letting the DCW chief meet the victim, the minister questioned if the sleuths and the BJP were hiding something in connection with the case.
Maliwal sat outside the hospital on Monday late night after being stopped from meeting the minor by Delhi Police.
"It's unfortunate that Delhi Police is not letting the chairperson of the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) meet the victim. What is it that the BJP and the Delhi Police are trying to hide? Are they involved in a larger conspiracy? Is there some kind of collusion? Did Delhi Police not arrest him (the accused government official) because of pressure from them (BJP)? What is the reason for not letting Swati Maliwal meet the victim?" Bhardwaj questioned. 
Delhi Government on Monday suspended the official accused of raping a minor victim. 
"In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-rule (1) of Rule 10 of the Central Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1965, Premoday Khakha, Assistant Director is hereby placed under suspension with immediate effect," an official order issued by Delhi Government read. 
The order comes after the official was booked for allegedly raping his deceased friend's minor daughter for several months, resulting in her pregnancy.