Women’s panel for slapping serious charges against Rathore

NEW DELHI - The National Commission for Women (NCW) Tuesday appealed to the central and Haryana governments to slap serious charges against former Haryana police chief S.P.S. Rathore, convicted in the Ruchika Girhotra molestation case. It also assured that civil damages will be filed after legal consultation.

“We have asked the union home ministry and the Haryana government to slap serious charges - abetment to suicide, attempt to murder, conspiracy and destroying evidence - against Rathore,” NCW chairperson Girija Vyas told reporters here.

The home ministry Saturday slapped show cause notices on Rathore.

“We have spoken to Haryana chief minister (Bhupinder Singh Hooda) and law minister (M. Veerappa Moily). Hooda said that he has sought legal advice from the state home secretary for re-investigating the whole case,” Vyas said.

Asked about compensating the aggrieved members of Ruchika’s family, she said that civil damages will be filed after legal consultation.

“We intend to get Ruchika’s family members compensation for mental and financial torture,” Vyas added.

Vyas parried questions about whether political heavyweights who shielded Rathore should be punished.

She said: “Let the investigations get over and all the people involved in the conspiracy will be punished. Our committee will submit its preliminary report by Jan 9 or Jan 10.”

Rathore was sentenced by a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court Dec 21 to six months in jail for molesting teenager Ruchika 19 years ago on Aug 12, 1990. A fine of Rs.1,000 was also imposed on Rathore, who, however, was immediately granted bail by the court.

Ruchika, a 14-year-old budding tennis player, had committed suicide in December 1993, three years after the incident, following alleged harassment of her and her family at Rathore’s behest.