SC Grants To Children Of Suspended Delhi Govt Officer In Minor's Sexual Assault Case

The Supreme Court has granted anticipatory bail to the children of a suspended Delhi government officer accused of sexually assaulting a minor girl.

The Supreme Court granted anticipatory bail to the daughter and son of suspended Delhi government officer Premoday Khakha in connection with the alleged sexual assault of a minor girl by the arrested official, on Monday. A bench comprising Justices CT Ravikumar and Rajesh Bindal granted bail taking note that the petitioners joined the investigation.

"After going through the statement, and hearing learned counsel on both sides and after perusing the material on record, we are of the view that these Special Leave Petitions can be disposed of, directing the release of the petitioners on bail in the event of their arrest on furnishing a bond of Rs 25,000, subject to the satisfaction of the Investigating Officer and further subject to the conditions stipulated under section 438(2), CrPC," the bench said in an order.

Advocates Shubhashis R Soren and Bhakti Singh represented the petitioners during the court proceedings.

The Delhi High Court on October 11 last year declined to grant anticipatory bail to Khakha's daughter and son, saying prima facie their "comprehensive interrogation" was required at this stage.

According to PTI, the court had observed that the siblings were "untraceable" and granting pre-arrest bail to them would not be prudent as it could derail the investigation which was at a nascent stage.

The high court had said while their personal liberty was a relevant factor, the nature of the offences which were allegedly committed over a period of time after the "victim" had just lost her father, her age as well as other factors, including that they were all residing in the same household at the relevant time, cannot be overlooked.

The son and daughter of the official, accused of aiding the crime, had approached the high court seeking pre-arrest bail after their attempts at securing relief from the trial court were unsuccessful.

Khakha, who allegedly raped the minor girl multiple times between November 2020 and January 2021, has been in jail since his arrest in August. The minor victim was known to the accused, according to the police.