Chandigarh:
A candle light march was held on Wednesday evening at Panchkula near Chandigarh to mark the 17th death anniversary of Ruchika Girhotra, who committed suicide three years after her molestation by former Haryana DGP SPS Rathore. Her family had vowing to continue its fight for justice.
Among those who participated in the march included friends of Ruchika's family - Anand Prakash and Madhu Prakash besides others.
"It is not only about Ruchika, but there are numerous examples before us of girls who have suffered in silence. We want that every victim should muster courage and stand up and speak up against their tormentor," Prakash said.
Meanwhile, going down memory lane Ruchika's father S C Girhotra recounted how he had lost his daughter and said, "The family's fight for justice still continues".
Though S C Girhotra was not present at the march, he said that last year Aradhna, Ruchika's friend who was the sole eyewitness in the molestation incident, along with the family's support and those from other well-wishers had started a portal in the memory of the victim.
"We had started the portal last year to make our society a safer place for our children. We are trying to create awareness among people on various issues related to child-abuse crimes," Girhotra said, adding, though CBI had filed closure report in two cases, "our fight will continue".
After spending close to six months behind bars, 68-year-old Rathore, who was sentenced to 18 months in jail in the Ruchika molestation case, was released from prison after the Supreme Court granted him bail on November 11.
Ruchika was molested on August 12,1990.
The CBI had recently filed two closure reports in the Special CBI Court in Ambala in two of the three fresh cases registered against the former Haryana DGP.
The first two cases against Rathore are related to doctoring of Ruchika's post-mortem report and custodial torture of her brother Ashu. Probe is still on in the case on abetment to suicide charge against him.
A Sessions Court had on May 25 this year increased Rathore's jail term from six months to one-and-half years while allowing CBI and Ruchika's family's appeal for enhancement of the punishment.