Panchkula:
A Panchkula court has dismissed the bail plea of former top cop SPS Rathore, who molested 14-year-old Ruchika Girhotra 19 years ago. This means that the former Haryana DGP can be arrested now and the CBI can ask for his custody.
Opposing bail on Thursday, Ruchika's family lawyer Pankaj Bhardwaj had pleaded that custodial questioning of Rathore was required to bring out all the facts. Reacting to the court verdict, Anand Prakash, the father of Ruchika's friend Aradhna, said on Friday: "Justice has prevailed, truth is coming out."
This was a second shot in the arm in quick succession for family and friends fighting for Ruchika. On Thursday, an inquiry by a sub-divisional magistrate into the role of Ruchika's school had slammed Sacred Heart school for discriminating against Ruchika by expelling her a month after she was molested by Rathore. (
Read: Ruchika was expelled under 'outside influence')
The harassed teenager killed herself in 1993, three years after Rathore molested her. (
In pics: The Ruchika story)
The court had on Thursday slammed the Haryana police for failing to provide evidence against Rathore and for not opposing his appeal for bail. It had said it would decide on his plea for anticipatory bail today.
Rathore currently has three police cases - including one for abetment of suicide - against him, all filed by Ruchika's friends and family. The teenager killed herself in 1993, three years after Rathore molested her. The most serious charge against Rathore accuses him of driving Ruchika to kill herself by harassing the teenager and her family after she complained against him in 1990. This is a non-bailable offence. (
In pics: Rathore's smile fades)
The other two cases accuse Rathore of using his office as a senior policeman to imprison Ruchika's brother on false pretexts, and of tampering with her post-mortem reports.
The Haryana government has set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to look into these cases. Slamming this team on Thursday, the judge said, "The Special Investigation Team (SIT) was constituted seven days ago and this time is enough to collect evidence. But SIT has not been able to collect any evidence against Rathore. You have senior officers in the Special Investigation Team, then why is there a delay?"
The judge pointed out that the Haryana police and the government had not asked for permission to interrogate Rathore in custody either.
Rathore is being defended by his wife, Abha, who is a lawyer. On Thursday, she argued that the cases againt Rathore are not valid because these charges against her husband have already been examine din the past and dismissed by the Supreme Court.
"Media is describing Rathore as a molester, a monster and an animal. Media is pronouncing its own judgement holding him guilty and it appears that the media has taken over the justice system," she told the court. (
Watch: Media showing wrong facts: Abha Rathore)
Abha also launched a smear campaign against Ruchika and Aradhna's families.
She claimed that Ruchika's father S C Girhotra is embroiled in corruption charges and pointed out that Anand Prakash, father of Aradhna, who is the only witness to the molestation, retired prematurely as he was charged with corruption.
She also added that Ruchika's father had remarried and claimed that her step-mother Veena Girhotra was responsible for her suicide, an allegation that Ruchika's family called diversionary. (
Read: Who is Veena Girhotra?)
Opposing bail, Ruchika's family lawyer Pankaj Bhardwaj pleaded in court that custodial questioning of Rathore was required to bring out all the facts. He said Ruchika's inquest report had been fudged and cases against her brother Ashu were fabricated at the behest of Rathore. Documentary proof suggested, he said, that Rathore managed everything to get away.