Delhi News Live Updates: Delhi Police arrests former WCD officer, wife in connection with rape of minor girl

Delhi News Live Updates, August 21: Delhi Police on Monday arrested the former Deputy Director of the Women and Child Department and his wife in connection with the rape of a friend’s minor daughter. Earlier in the day, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had appealed to the police to arrest the accused at the earliest. Following Kejriwal’s order, Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar suspended the accused officer with immediate effect. Kejriwal further asked the Chief Secretary to submit a report on the matter by 5 pm today. On Sunday, the Delhi Police booked the accused and his wife on charges of rape under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act after the girl said she was raped by the officer several times between 2020 and 2021, and that his wife terminated her pregnancy by giving her abortion pills.

Meanwhile, several Delhi Police personnel have been deployed to provide assistance in the anti-encroachment drive in Shahdara’s Geeta Colony and avoid any law and order issues, an official said. Paramilitary forces are also assisting in the drive, according to officers.

In other news, a group of 17 men were extradited from Libya after a harrowing period of six months, which culminated in a rescue operation involving an Indian MP and the United Nations. The men arrived at the Delhi Airport Sunday night. The men are among many who left India between February and April this year with hopes of landing jobs in Italy. Little did they know that they had been duped and were being sent on a “donkey route” — a term used to refer to the illegal and highly dangerous method hundreds of people undertake to reach Western countries.