The Delhi High Court on Friday denied bail to Seema Rani Khakha, the wife of suspended Delhi government officer Premoday Khakha, who is accused of repeatedly raping and impregnating a minor girl. Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma rejected her bail plea, citing that the case “undermines the trust between two families” and noting that the potential for witness tampering remains high at this stage.

Premoday Khakha is alleged to have sexually assaulted the minor, a daughter of an acquaintance, multiple times between November 2020 and January 2021. He was arrested in August 2023 and is currently in judicial custody.

Seema Rani Khakha, also facing charges, is accused of giving the minor medication to terminate her pregnancy. She is currently in judicial custody as well.

Opposing her bail request, the Delhi Police argued that Seema Rani was not merely a “passive spectator” but played an “active role” in the crime. The couple’s arrest followed the survivor’s statement to a magistrate at a hospital.

The case has been filed under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Indian Penal Code.