Rathore faces suicide abetment charge, Ruchika kin seek arrest (Roundup)

PANCHKULA - Even as former Haryana police chief S.P.S. Rathore faced fresh trouble Tuesday with police in Panchkula filing another first information report (FIR) - for abetting the suicide of Ruchika Girhotra whom he molested in 1990 - against him, her family demanded his immediate arrest.

Ruchika’s father, S.C. Girhotra, said Tuesday evening that there were enough grounds for the Haryana police, which once Rathore headed, to arrest him.

“I am surprised why they are not arresting him even now. He is a criminal in our society,” Girhotra said, adding that his family and friends were hopeful of justice in this case with support coming from all quarters.

Rathore, who was Tuesday booked under Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), could be arrested anytime now, Haryana police sources said.

The Haryana police Tuesday also recommended that the three fresh cases registered against Rathore be transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for further investigation.

“We have registered the third FIR against him (Rathore). We have recommended that all cases be handed over to the CBI for investigation,” Panchkula Superintendent of Police Maneesh Chaudhary, who is also part of the state special investigation team (SIT) probing the case, told IANS.

The FIR was filed after Ruchika’s brother Ashu made a fresh complaint last week, seeking Rathore be booked for abetment of his sister’s suicide.

Ruchika, a budding tennis player whom Rathore molested here Aug 12, 1990, when she was 15, committed suicide Dec 28, 1993, by consuming insecticide.

The former Haryana director general of police (DGP) has been accused of torturing Ruchika’s brother by getting false cases of car theft slapped against him, inflicting third-degree torture on him in police custody, and harassing the Girhotra family between 1990 and 1993.

All this reportedly led to Ruchika finally committing suicide in December 1993.

Certain other police officers, who allegedly tortured Ashu at Rathore’s behest, have also been named in the fresh FIR against Rathore.

Rathore and other police officials were last week booked by the Panchkula police in two different cases, charging him with attempt to murder, forging and tampering with evidence of Ruchika’s death, criminal conspiracy and wrongful confinement. Most of the charges slapped against him in both FIRs are non-bailable ones.

On Friday, Rathore managed to secure interim relief on his anticipatory bail application from the district and sessions court here till Jan 7, when his bail plea in these two cases comes up for hearing again.

Rathore was convicted by a CBI special court in Chandigarh Dec 21 for Ruchika’s molestation and sentenced to six months’ rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 1,000.

The fresh FIR against Rathore has given new hope to Ruchika’s friend Aradhana’s family that has fought a relentless legal battle for justice.

“I am very happy that Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has kept his promise and an FIR under section 306 has been registered against Rathore. Now, Rathore’s influence is diminishing very fast and we are sure of appropriate justice ahead,” Aradhana, the lone eyewitness to the molestation incident, told IANS Tuesday.

“After this fresh FIR, we are confident of winning this legal battle. Now we have support from all sections of the society and we are ready to go up to any extent to ensure justice for Ruchika’s family,” Aradhana’s father Anand Prakash said.

Ruchika’s father said: “This man (Rathore) is not repenting. He is not remorseful. We felt very bad after he came out smiling (from the court) after his conviction (on Dec 21).”