The Delhi High Court issued a notice to Delhi Police on the bail plea of Seema Rani Khakha, an accused in a POCSO case. She seeks bail on grounds of being in custody for nearly 3 years and a slow trial, challenging the trial court's rejection.
The Delhi High Court on Thursday issued notice to the Delhi Police on the bail plea filed by Seema Rani Khakha, who is an accused in a case registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The matter came up before Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma, who sought a response from the Delhi Police and listed the case for further hearing in May.
Arguments for Bail Plea
The court's direction came while hearing Khakha's plea challenging the rejection of her third bail application by the trial court. The bail petition has been moved through advocate Rahul Kumar. According to the plea, the trial court had dismissed her third bail application on February 12, 2026. She has now approached the High Court seeking relief, contending that she should be granted bail in the matter. She is seeking regular bail on the grounds of custody of 2 years and 9 months. It is argued that, as per the Supreme Court order trial must be expedited, but to date, only the victim has been examined.
The bail plea said that in the victim's cross-examination, the victim had totally changed her previous statement and given a contradictory statement.
Case Background and Allegations
Seema Rani Khakha is an accused in the case along with her husband, Premoday Khakha, who was serving as Deputy Director in the Delhi Government at the time of the alleged incident. The case pertains to serious allegations involving a minor victim.
As per the prosecution, an FIR was registered by the Delhi Police on August 13, 2023, after a hospital lodged a complaint alleging sexual assault of a minor girl. Following the registration of the case, the police initiated an investigation, which led to the arrest of Khakha. She was subsequently remanded to judicial custody on August 21, 2023, where she has remained since.
The allegations in the case state that her husband sexually assaulted the minor, which resulted in pregnancy. It has also been alleged that Khakha played a role in terminating the pregnancy by administering pills to the minor victim. These allegations form a crucial part of the prosecution's case against her.
Current Legal Status
A chargesheet has already been filed by the investigating agency, and the matter is presently at the stage of prosecution evidence before the trial court.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)