DCW Chief Swati Maliwal Sleeps Outside Hospital After Being Denied From Meeting Delhi Rape Victim

Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal spent Monday night at a hospital after being barred from visiting the 16-year-old girl who was subjected to sexual assault by a senior official of the Delhi government.

Speaking to ANI, Maliwal accused the Delhi Police of engaging in unruly behavior, stating, "They are not permitting me to meet the girl or her mother. I'm bewildered about what the police aim to conceal from me. I've been informed that the Chairperson of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights was allowed to meet the girl's mother. If the NCPCR Chairperson can have access, why am I being denied the same as the DCW head?"

#WATCH | Delhi government official rape case | DCW chief Swati Maliwal continues to sit on dharna at the hospital in Delhi where the minor girl has been admitted.

She says, "Delhi Police is indulging in hooliganism. They are neither allowing me to meet the girl nor her mother.… pic.twitter.com/DNmeMT8rTv

— ANI (@ANI) August 22, 2023

Expressing her concerns on X (formerly Twitter), Maliwal posted, "Since noon yesterday, I've been waiting outside the hospital to meet the victimized girl or her family. Spent the night outside the hospital. The girl's mother was introduced to the NCPCR, so why am I being obstructed? What is being concealed here?"

कल दोपहर 12 बजे से मैं पीड़िता बच्ची या उसके परिवार से मिलने के लिए अस्पताल के बाहर बैठी हूँ। रात को अस्पताल के बाहर ही सोई। NCPCR को लड़की की माँ से मिलवा सकते हैं तो मुझे क्यों रोकने के लिए बोला गया है ? क्या छुपाने की कोशिश है ? pic.twitter.com/9IC5LqCDCa

— Swati Maliwal (@SwatiJaiHind) August 22, 2023

मिलने नहीं आती तो बोलते मिलने नहीं आयी। मिलने आयी तो मिलने नहीं दे रहे और बोल रहे है ड्रामा कर रही है। किस हद्द तक राजनीति गिर चुकी है की नेताओं की सही को सही बोलने की क्षमता ही ख़त्म हो चुकी है। राजनीति करो, खूब करो पर बेटियों पे नहीं!

— Swati Maliwal (@SwatiJaiHind) August 22, 2023

The young girl was subjected to months of sexual assault, resulting in her pregnancy. On Monday, the Delhi Police arrested the government official Premoday Khakha (51) along with his wife Seema Rani (50).

"In the case of the sexual assault on a minor, we have detained two individuals. One of them is Premoday Khakha, 51 years old, who serves as a Deputy Director in the Department of Women and Child Development of GNCT. The second individual is his wife, Seema Rani, 50 years old," informed DCP (North) Sagar Singh Kalsi.

As per police reports, following the demise of her father, who was also employed by the Delhi government, the minor lived with the accused in Burari from October 2020 to February 2021.

The Delhi government took action on Monday by suspending the official accused of raping the minor victim. An official directive from the Delhi government stated, "Exercising the authority 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 suspended with immediate effect."

This directive was issued following the official's involvement in the alleged rape of the minor.