Panchkula:
The law is closing in on former Haryana DGP SPS Rathore for molesting teenager Ruchika Girhotra 19 years ago. Ruchika's family on Thursday decided to file a fresh FIR against Rathore for abetment to suicide.
(Read & Watch: Rathore's smile wiped off, bail denied)Their case states that Ruchika was driven to suicide after Rathore harassed her and family. The petitioner will be Ashu Girhotra, Ruchika's brother, who was tortured by the police.
And the CBI will reconsider charging Rathore with abetment of suicide charge. The charge under this section carries a maximum punishment of 10 years. The central investigating agency may also appeal for an enhancement of his sentence.
Ruchika's brother Ashu Girhotra, who has been silent along with the rest of Ruchika's family for the past 16 years, has emerged out of this silence to file a fresh complaint against their tormentor former Haryana DGP SPS Rathore, this time for abetment to suicide.
Ashu has also suffered at the hands of Rathore, he was detained and tortured in trumped up cases and threatened into silence along with the rest of the family. But now after recent events he has emerged to fight on the case.
Ashu's affidavit:
- In the affidavit, Ashu says he had to undergo inhuman torture at the instance of Rathore
- He says, "I was terrorised, and not given food or water for days at a stretch and was beaten mercilessly"I was paraded in handcuffs in front of my house while police abused my sister
- A couple of days later, he says he learnt that his sister had committed suicide
- Ashu says he was kept in police custody for more than two months from the 23rd of October 1993 to the 29th of December
Meanwhile, Home Minister P Chidambaram on Thursday said he's unhappy at the way Rathore has been punished and will respond to the new FIR on abetment to suicide once its filed.
"As the Home Minister, I cannot pronounce any judgement on any legal matter. I am very unhappy with the way charges were framed and the way trial was conducted and the way the accused has been punished. We will certainly look into what the central government can do. Let them first file the FIR," he said.
SPS Rathore's wife and counsel Abha Rathore collected 2 copies of fresh FIRs lodged against Rathore to the sessions court in Panchkula.
She told the court that the Supreme Court has dismissed that it was not a case of abetment of suicide and also Rathore had no role to play in Ruchika's expulsion from the school or whatever happened to Ashu.
She also said that Ashu kept quiet for all these years and there was recorded statement of Ashu in Patiala court where he didn't level any charges and today they are coming up with fresh complaints.
The traumatised girl had killed herself 3 years after she was molested, after her family was harassed and she was expelled from her school.