Minor's sexual assault: SC grants anticipatory bail to children of suspended Delhi govt officer
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court has granted anticipatory bail to the daughter and son of suspended Delhi government officer Premoday Khakha in a case of alleged sexual assault of a minor girl by the arrested official.
A bench of Justices CT Ravikumar and Rajesh Bindal granted the relief, noting that the petitioners have 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 on Monday.
Advocates Shubhashis R Soren and Bhakti Singh appeared for the petitioners.
The Delhi High Court on October 11 last year had refused to grant anticipatory bail to the daughter and son of Khakha, saying prima facie their "comprehensive interrogation" was required at this stage.
It 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 official's son and daughter, accused of abetting the crime, had approached the high court seeking pre-arrest bail in the case after they failed to secure the relief from trial court.
Khakha allegedly raped the minor girl several times between November 2020 and January 2021, and is currently in jail after his arrest in August.
The minor was the daughter of a person known to the accused, the police had said.
The official's wife Seema Rani, who allegedly gave the girl medicine to terminate her pregnancy, is also an accused in the case. She too is in judicial custody.
The couple was arrested after the survivor recorded her statement before a magistrate at a hospital.
A case has been registered under provisions of the POCSO Act and Indian Penal Code sections 376(2)(f) (being a relative, guardian or teacher of, or a person in a position of trust or authority towards the woman, commits rape on such woman) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to outrage the modesty of a woman), police said.
IPC sections 506 (criminal intimidation), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 313 (causing miscarriage without woman's consent) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) have also been invoked in the case, police said.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
