Rathore got Ruchika expelled from school, says her father

PANCHKULA - The father of teenager Ruchika Girhotra, who was molested by former Harayana top cop S.P.S. Rathore and later committed suicide, Sunday lashed out at the ex-police official and said he used his power to get Ruchika expelled from her school.

“Rathore had illegitimately used his influential position to get Ruchika removed from the school. My daughter took admission in that school in nursery class and studied there for 13 years,” S.C. Girhotra told reporters here Sunday.

“The school authorities did not give us any substantial reason behind her sudden expulsion from the school. They cited some late fees related issue as a reason behind this, which was totally baseless,” he added.

Ruchika was studying in Sacred Heart School in Sector 26. Coincidently, Rathore’s daughter was Ruchika’s classmate in the same school.

Also lashing out at the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Girhotra said: “Rathore was the only reason behind the suicide of my daughter and I do not know why CBI did not include the abetment to suicide charge against him. Now we will again file a case in the higher court and appeal to include this charge against Rathore.”

Lawyer Pankaj Bhardwaj, who has fought the Ruchika case free of cost for the last 13 years, said that there were many loopholes in the CBI’s inquiry.

He also demanded the formulation of a separate committee to look into this matter.

“At the back of the scene, Rathore had manipulated all the facts and evidence pertaining to this case. He used his power and position to escape the wrath of police and court. The inquest proceeding report was also doctored, on his behest, to misguide the investigating agency,” Bhardwaj said.

“In the inquest report, police had written the name ‘Ruby’ instead of Ruchika. The name of her father S.C. Girhotra was changed to S.C. Khatri. There is a mention of another name Veena Girhotra but I have not met any lady of this name till date,” he said.

A special CBI court in Chandigarh had Monday held Rathore, former Haryana director general of police (DGP), guilty of molesting 14-year-old Ruchika in Panchkula town Aug 12, 1990 and sentenced him to a six-month prison term.

The budding tennis player had committed suicide three years after the incident.

“We want the government to formulate an independent committee to examine all the past evidence and records of this case to ensure a fair probe,” Bhardwaj said.