Delhi HC denies bail to wife of suspended govt official in minor rape case

The Delhi high court on Friday denied bail to Seema Rani Khakha, wife of suspended Delhi government official Premoday Khakha, in a case involving allegations that a 16-year-old girl living at their residence was repeatedly raped over several months, saying that the case “strikes at the root of trust and faith between two families”.
Terming the facts of the case as “serious”, a bench of justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma said that the possibility of the accused influencing the witnesses in the case could not be ruled out at this stage.
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“The facts are very serious in nature. It strikes at the root trust and faith between two families. The gravity of allegations, the facts and circumstances in which the offence has taken place persuade the court to not grant bail. The bail is dismissed,” the court said in the order.
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The 50-year-old approached the high court seeking bail, claiming that the allegations against her were false and frivolous. She also claimed that she was a lady and entitled to bail as she had been in custody for a year.
Opposing the bail, the counsel for Delhi Police contended that charges were yet to be framed and if released on bail, there was a possibility of her tampering with prosecution witnesses. The counsel further contended that the facts of the case were “egregious” in nature.
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The bail was also opposed by the victim’s mother, who was present in court.
Khakha, former deputy director in Delhi WCD department, was arrested in a case registered under provisions of Protection of Children from Sexual Offence (POCSO) Act and section 376 (2)(f) (committing rape while being a relative, guardian or teacher or a person in a position of trust or authority towards the woman) and 509 (outraging woman’s modesty) of the Indian Penal Code for allegedly raping a 16-year-old girl in his care multiple times at his residence between 2020 and 2021. His wife Seema Rani was also booked by city police for allegedly forcing the survivor to take abortion pills for terminating her pregnancy.