Delhi: Kejriwal orders suspension of senior officer accused of raping minor

The chief minister has also sought a report from Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar by 5 pm, officials said.

The officer of the Delhi government's women and child development department has been booked for allegedly raping the minor girl several times and impregnating her, police had said on Sunday (August 20).

The girl was staying with the accused - a deputy director in the department - and his family at their house after her father passed away on October 1, 2020.

The police said that the accused had allegedly raped the girl on several occasions between November 2020 and January 2021. His wife has also been charged for allegedly giving the victim medication to terminate her pregnancy. The girl had informed the accused’s wife when she became pregnant, who asked her son to obtain the medication, and she gave it to the girl.

The crime was revealed when the victim shared her terrible ordeal with a counsellor at the hospital where she was admitted for an anxiety attack this month. She returned to her mother’s home in January 2021.

AAP Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said, “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…”

Swati Maliwal, chairperson, Delhi Commission for Women, said, "A government officer who was sitting on the post of Deputy Director in the Women and Child Development Department for so long, has been accused of raping a 16-year-old minor girl and when she got pregnant, he and his wife tried to abort the pregnancy. We have issued notice to Delhi Police, why is he not arrested yet, we are also issuing a notice to Delhi govt because we want to know what are the complaints against him and what actions have been taken against him..."

(With inputs from agencies)