Wife of suspended Delhi govt officer Khakha seeks bail again in minor's sexual assault case

New Delhi: The wife of suspended Delhi government officer Premoday Khakha, who allegedly raped a minor girl several times and impregnated her, on Thursday urged the Delhi High Court to grant her bail in the matter.

Counsel appearing for Seema Rani Khakha submitted before Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma that she has been in custody since August 2023 and has been discharged of the offences of abetment of rape.

This is her second regular bail plea in the high court, after the Supreme Court last year asked her to approach the trial court for bail after one year, the lawyer submitted.

The police counsel opposed the plea and said the mother of the minor was yet to be examined in the trial court, and there was an apprehension that the accused would influence her as both of them go to the same church.

She further said the trial court has passed a detailed order rejecting the bail plea.

The court said it was ready to hear arguments in the case but adjourned the hearing till May 4 on a request by Khakha's counsel.

The lawyer said he wished to be physically present in court for arguments.

Premoday Khakha allegedly raped a minor girl, the daughter of a person known to him, several times between November 2020 and January 2021 and is currently in judicial custody after being arrested in August 2023.

The official's wife allegedly gave the girl medicines to terminate her pregnancy. She is in judicial custody.

Last year, the high court upheld the framing of charges against the official in the case. Premoday was charged for the alleged offences of raping a woman while being a relative or in a position of trust or authority towards her, raping a girl under 16 years of age and causing hurt.

It, however, quashed the charges against Seema Rani Khakha for abetting the commission of rape and penetrative sexual assault.

The husband-wife duo was arrested in August 2023 after the survivor recorded her statement before a magistrate at a hospital.

The case was registered under the provisions of the POCSO Act and the Indian Penal Code.

In September 2024, the high court dismissed the bail application of Seema Rani Khakha, saying the case "strikes at the root of trust between two families" and the possibility of influencing witnesses cannot be ruled out at this stage.

On January 24, 2025, the Supreme Court granted her liberty to approach the trial court for bail after one year.