New Delhi, April 2 The wife of suspended Delhi government official Premoday Khakha, who is accused of repeatedly raping and impregnating a minor girl, appealed to the Delhi High Court on Thursday for bail.
Counsel for Seema Rani Khakha told Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma that she has been in custody since August 2023 and has been acquitted of the charges of aiding and abetting rape.
The lawyer stated that this was her second regular bail plea in the high court, following the Supreme Court's directive last year for her to approach the trial court for bail after one year.
The police counsel opposed the plea, stating that the mother of the minor had not yet been examined in the trial court, and there were concerns that the accused would influence her, as both of them attend the same church.
The lawyer further stated that the trial court had rejected her bail plea.
The court said it was ready to hear arguments in the case but adjourned the hearing until May 4 at the request of Khakha's counsel.
The lawyer stated that he wished to be physically present in court for the arguments.
Premoday Khakha is accused of repeatedly raping a minor girl, the daughter of someone he knew, between November 2020 and January 2021, and is currently in judicial custody after being arrested in August 2023.
The official's wife is accused of giving the girl medication to terminate her pregnancy. She is also in judicial custody.
Last year, the high court upheld the charges against the official. Premoday was charged with 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.
However, the charges against Seema Rani Khakha for aiding and abetting the commission of rape and for penetrative sexual assault were quashed.
The couple 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 Seema Rani Khakha's bail application, stating that the case "strikes at the root of trust between two families" and that the possibility of influencing witnesses cannot be ruled out at this stage.
On January 24, 2025, the Supreme Court granted her the liberty to approach the trial court for bail after one year.